Speaking to The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United’s head of first-team development, Nicky Butt, has hailed Hannibal Mejbri’s abilities.
What did he say?
Mejbri joined the Red Devils from French side AS Monaco last summer, and has predominantly featured for the academy sides at Old Trafford, playing 14 times across all competitions.
And speaking about the abundance of youth talent being ready to make their mark at United, Butt picked out Mejbri as someone who’s got the ability to reach a very high level.
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He said: “We’ve got the old-fashioned leaders, if you like, who are going to talk to the players and drive the team. Hannibal (Mejbri)’s a leader. The way he plays his football is 100mph, he’s non-stop running up and down. Hannibal is different to Paul (Pogba) when Paul was a youth team player. He’s not as powerful as Paul, he isn’t as dominant as him, he’s a different kind of player to Paul but we all know about the talent he’s got.
“He’s a very, very talented boy but he’s still very immature. He’s still a baby, he’s just 17. He’s not got anything on him just yet, he needs to build up his size and build up his physicality. Talent-wise, he’s got such an immense talent to go on and play at a high level but there’s a long way to go yet.”
High praise
Despite not making a single first-team appearance yet for United, Butt’s appraisal of Mejbri makes for very impressive reading. The 17-year-old is sure to still be finding his feet at Old Trafford, and continuing to keep him at youth team level is a smart move. It will allow him to grow accustomed to a new environment, without the pressures of the spot-light of playing for the senior side.
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Naturally, coming from France, the Pogba comparisons are inevitable. But as Butt alludes to, he’s a “different kind of player” to the current United star. By shutting that down, the Red Devils player has ensured Mejbri can continue to carve out his own path, rather than feeling weighed down by having to live up to someone who is a World Cup winner. The teenager could enjoy a very impressive career going forward under the right guidance.
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