'He's ready' - Godwill Kukonki reacts to Manchester United squad debut as Ruben Amorim makes exciting claim
Man Utd handed an opportunity to academy ace Godwill Kukonki against Arsenal in the Premier League.
Godwill Kukonki has thanked Ruben Amorim after he was included in a Manchester United matchday squad for the first time this week.
The 16-year-old was named on the bench for United's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday night and watched on as fellow defenders Jurrien Timber and William Saliba scored the only goals of the match to earn victory for Mikel Arteta's side.
Kukonki had previously travelled to Portman Road for Amorim's first match in charge of the club, but was ultimately left out of the final match day squad for the encounter. He went one better last night though, making his senior squad debut amid their defensive shortage.
United were without the suspended Lisandro Martinez for the clash, along with the injured trio of Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans. It means Kukonki could drop out of the squad when they host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this weekend, but he is grateful for the opportunities he has already been given.
"Valuable experience with the squad," he wrote on Instagram. "Thanks to the manager and the staff for this opportunity. Thank God."
Speaking ahead of the match, Amorim piled the praise on the teenage centre-back and insisted the youngster would be ready to play in the Premier League if required in the weeks ahead. "He's 16 years old but he impressed me a lot, so it's also a sign to the youth players that they can be here," the United head coach told MUTV. "If something happened with the first-team squad, they have to step up, and I think he's ready - he's very adult - to handle the demands of the Premier League."