Chong forces his way into Jose’s plans
UNITED supporters have been calling for Tahith Chong’s inclusion in the first-team set-up for most of this year – and Jose Mourinho heeded those calls for the biggest night of European football Old Trafford has seen in five years.
The Dutch U19 international from Curacao is, along with Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood, regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the United academy.
The pair, both 18, play for the U23s while Greenwood, 17, is still with the U18s.
They were perceived as being at a similar level last season, but Chong has stepped it up a notch in recent months and that is why he was rewarded with a place in United’s squad against Juventus last night.
Chong arrived at the Reds from Feyenoord as a stick-like winger in his appearance during the summer of 2016 but his debut season was cut short by a serious knee injury he suffered in January last year.
After 10 months on the sidelines he returned for the U18s last November but didn’t stay in Kieran McKenna’s team for long, playing just seven times – and scoring four goals – before Ricky Sbragia drafted him into the reserve team set-up.
Sbragia’s team were ultimately relegated to Premier League 2 at the end of last season but Chong impressed in spite of that, scoring three goals in seven games to earn a spot in Mourinho’s squad for the pre-season tour of the US.
Chong caught Mourinho’s eye with a bright appearance in the tour opener against Club America, and one of his crosses prompted Mourinho to describe his contribution as ‘beautiful’.
“Tahith was good,” Mourinho said after that game. “He came with the intention to show himself and in a moment when we had no strikers on the pitch, after Anthony Martial had left, we needed people to create and have some initiative, which he did. Of course, physically he has limitations and when he has one more touch, and that body contact, he loses for everyone. But when he makes the ball move, and when he attacks people one-against-one he has quality. He is a good kid.”
His goal contribution record from his last three appearances against Middlesbrough, Valencia and Sunderland reads four goals and two assists – and it is that record that has caught Mourinho’s eye ahead of the Juventus game last night.