“There’s a headline there to be had at some point” - Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer offer opinion on Manchester United defender after Arsenal draw
Pundits Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer offered their opinion on Manchester United defender Ayden Heaven's display in his side's 1-1 draw against Arsenal on March 9. The Englishmen were impressed by the teenage star's performance, claiming that he looked 'comfortable' and 'assured.'
Heaven joined Manchester United from Arsenal's under-21 side for a reported £1.5 million fee in the January transfer window. The 18-year-old was immediately included in Ruben Amorim's first team squad to add additional squad depth in defense.
Heaven made his debut off the bench in United's loss to Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup (1-1, 3-4 on penalties). After Leny Yoro picked up an injury against the Gunners, the youngster was brought on for his EPL debut as a half-time substitute.
The teenager made five clearances, one tackle, recovered the ball twice and won three of five duels (stats via FotMob). No player from the opposition was able to dribble past him either, leading to commendation from fans and pundits alike.
On The Rest is Football podcast, besides lauding the youngster's performance, Lineker jokingly claimed that his name could be used as wordplay in headlines. The ex-Barcelona striker said (via TBR Football):
"Heaven came on, I love that name – Heaven. There's a headline there to be had at some point. I thought he did really well."
To this, Shearer replied:
"Yeah he did, I thought he did really well. He looked comfortable and assured and a couple of important tackles and blocks. Yeah, he did really well in the second half, he did."
With 34 points in 28 games (nine wins, seven draws, 12 losses), Manchester United currently sit 14th in the Premier League table.
"Very composed" - Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown delivers verdict on young star Ayden Heaven
Ex-Manchester United centre-back Wes Brown claimed that teenage star Ayden Heaven looked 'very composed' in the Red Devils' 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
A five-time Premier League and two-time Champions League winner with United, Brown praised the youngster's demeanour and defensive awareness. In conversation with the MUTV studio after the game, the 45-year-old said (via United in Focus):
"(Heaven was) very composed when he had the ball. There was a couple of times I thought that his man got past him, but he just showed him out, and then calms himself and gets a good pass. He's been definitely a good player that the manager's brought in, you're not sure what to do sometimes with the young lads, because it's difficult. You don’t want to feel too much pressure. But he doesn’t feel that at all."
With the extent of Leny Yoro's injury yet to be confirmed, Heaven is likely to play a bigger role for Manchester United in their upcoming fixtures. Up next, the Red Devils will host Real Sociedad at Old Trafford in the second leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie on March 13 (1-1 after first leg).
