Manchester United’s Academy is famed for producing talents almost every season, and despite recent lean years, the tradition of giving youngsters a chance to prove themselves is still upheld by the club. Last season was one of the worst seasons for the Red Devils in the Premier League era, in terms of points scored and league position.
However, one of the few positives of a dismal season (apart from a famous FA Cup win) was the breakthrough season of young Kobbie Mainoo, who in a very short span has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet at the tender age of 19. Just like him, a few other Academy graduates saw themselves get promoted to first team status as Manchester United faced an injury crisis that left them short of senior players.
Among a plethora of names that were bumped up to train with the seniors was that of 18-year-old Habeeb Ogunneye.
Manchester United youngster Habeeb Ogunneye catches Ten Hag’s eye
A right-back by trade, Ogunneye caught the eye of ten Hag after a string of impressive performances for the U21s.
Amidst an emergency that saw United lose most of their senior defenders, ten Hag and the coaches had to call up the youth players to training to increase numbers, and such was Ogunneye’s impact that he was included in the matchday squad against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup quarterfinal at the end of February.
United fans caught a glimpse of the youngster, and social media was soon abuzz with discussion about the inclusion of the 18-year-old.
Having been with the club since he was a kid, Ogunneye has quickly progressed up the ranks, playing with older players at a young age. The defender made his U18 debut for United at the age of 15, and his U21 debut came last season, aged just 17.
He showed admirable maturity, putting in good performances in the ten times he featured for the U21 side in the 23/24 season.
Blessed with explosive pace due to his time sprinting for a local athletics team, the fullback is scintillating when driving forward on the wings, able to leave defenders in his wake. His style of play raises memories of a young Gareth Bale, who would often embark on his trademark runs from the fullback position, taking the ball away from opposition defenders and creating chances or scoring.
A goal by Habeeb in his U16 days in 2022 drew comparisons to Bale’s famous goal against Barcelona from social media users, and many have earmarked him as a future star.
Habeeb Ogunneye
Lateral de 16 años, ya es una de las joyas de La Academia.Tal es su proyección que algunos lo ponen en el Top5 de los talentos del #MUAcademy
Una de la comparación más recurrente, por su estilo de juego, es con Gareth Bale.
¿Cómo lo ven ustedes? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3vGdNM2dMZ
— Freeed (@AdnUnited) July 24, 2022
Backing up his fiery pace, Ogunneye also has brilliant dribbling skills, often seen carrying the ball past the first and second lines of opposition defense, and credits his brother for imbibing it in him in their childhood days.
The Englishman has also shown tendencies toward playing as a winger and loves to take on a defender and drive inside the opposition box. These skills have enabled him to play as a right-winger at times too, and it is certainly something he can build on, with the trend of attacking full-backs in full flow currently. Coupled with his uncanny ability to put in accurate low crosses into the box, Ogunneye has become one of the best fullbacks in his age group and is fast garnering the attention of football fanatics around the world.
A great assist by the soon to be 16 Habeeb Ogunneye. Sam Mather’s goal.#mufc U18 #muacademy pic.twitter.com/9dEgqKPA2b
— SnoopShug (@ShugSnoop) November 6, 2021
The young fullback has shown a very mature understanding of the game and can read the opposition very well. He can evade a press comfortably, and with a quick turn of pace, he can help carry the ball to the other half. Similarly, he uses his physicality smartly in both attack and defense, and his pace is equally effective in defense, helping him make recovery runs with ease.
Coaches have also praised the Englishman’s eye for a pass, and he has a knack of spotting a teammate making a run behind the opposition defense.
Can Habeeb Ogunneye make his Manchester United debut this season?
Given Erik ten Hag’s preference for his players to be comfortable on the ball going forward, the young English defender could be a perfect, albeit a little raw, home-grown backup option. He can play as a center-back as well and has earned praise from scouts and coaches as a ball-playing center-back who is tall, quick, and commanding.
He has already been called up to the U17 England side, and his performances in the youth setups are evidence enough of his skills on and off the ball.
15 year old Manchester United and England baller Habeeb Ogunneye…
– @RisingBallers_#MUAcademy #GGMU #MUFC #AcademyFootball https://t.co/zDE1CEcmjJ pic.twitter.com/i3nmbCd3l5
— Mob (@UnitedMob) December 19, 2020
Although he was included in the matchday squad for the senior side nine times, he was not called upon by ten Hag, and now heading into the new season, he stands on the cusp of making his competitive debut for his boyhood club.
Having been included in the first two pre-season games against Rosenborg and Rangers, Habeeb impressed at right-back in the time given and could very well feature for the club in a competitive game in the upcoming season.
Still only 18, Ogunneye has shown all signs of blossoming into a complete fullback, and with the right tutelage, there is no doubt that the young starlet has a bright future ahead of him.
