Manchester United drew 2-2 to relegation candidates Burnley on Wednesday night. For the first game under interim coach Darren Fletcher, and the first game since the removal of Ruben Amorim as head coach, plenty of positives could be taken from the game, even if the result was not one of them.
Much of the conversation after the game didn't revolve around the game, though. Much of the social media conversation was about the cameo of an 18-year-old academy graduate named Shea Lacey. For those who follow the academy in any depth, that name will not be a surprise. For those who follow the academy closely, you know it's about time people are talking about him.
Lacey has been the talk of the academy for a long time. He has been part of the United academy since he was 8 years old, despite being born in Liverpool and having two older brothers who both support Liverpool.
Lacey was fast-tracked through many of the academy teams, debuting for the under-18s at 15 and the under-21s shortly afterwards. His development has been hampered by consistent injuries, but finally emerged into the first-team this year, and made his debut under Ruben Amorim, in a brief cameo against Everton.
Lacey didn't get more than 10 minutes on the pitch in the game against Everton, but was handed another brief substitute appearance against Burnley. This time, his appearance was a lot more notable, largely due to his audacious solo run and long range shot that just shy of the top corner in the dying moments of the game.
Fans were most impressed not necessarily by the shot itself, but the arrogance to try and take it on. This is a player who can count on one hand the amount of times he's played for Manchester United, but still has the confidence to launch a shot from that distance, and almost score it.
Lacey's popularity has skyrocketed in the hours following the Burnley game. He was trending on X, and his Instagram following has almost doubled, an increase of over 100k followers in less than 24 hours.
Darren Fletcher was happy to sing his praises in his post-match interview: "He is fast, he is direct, he is fearless", says the interim head coach, "He will be a big part of Manchester United's future, I am sure of that."
It's fair to say that the style of play that Darren Fletcher deployed suited Lacey's style of play much better than Ruben Amorim's did. Lacey is a quick, tricky winger, who loves to stay wide and then cut inside and create chances. Amorim's system reserved that width for the wing-backs like Amad Diallo.
With Amad and Mbeumo still currently at AFCON, Lacey has an opportunity to prove to Fletcher, and whoever the next manager is, that he belongs in the first team. United come up against Brighton in the FA Cup this Sunday, and if Lacey gets any game time, you can bet that we will see more of this young man's incredible potential.
Expectations for the young lad are obviously very high, and they must be tempered like any other youngster: Lacey is inexperienced, he is raw, but he is a joy to watch. United always have a place for players who get the Old Trafford crowd up off their seats. This lad could develop into one of United's very finest.