Exclusive:Erik ten Hag planning to promote Manchester United youngster as first-team role identified
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag is set to give the youngster a chance in the first-team over the coming season.
Manchester United are set to give Toby Collyer a chance in the first-team next season after catching the eye of manager Erik ten Hag.
The 20-year-old midfielder is one of the most highly rated players in the United youth set-up and will be included in the senior squad as he looks to make his breakthrough in professional football. Collyer has played in each of United's two pre-season friendlies so far, captaining the side in the second-half of their defeat to Rosenborg a week ago and starting in the win over Rangers at the weekend.
Ten Hag insisted on being present when Collyer signed a new contract with the club earlier in the month, clear evidence of his faith in the talented midfielder. It is not the norm for the first-team manager to attend contract ceremonies for youth-team players, but he also made the exception for Kobbie Mainoo when he was 17 and Alejandro Garnacho, then aged 18.
ManchesterWorld understand Collyer is not one of the United youngsters currently available for loan this summer, and while he will still feature for the Under-21s this season, he will be given plenty of first-team opportunities as well.
Speaking after United's 2-0 win over Rangers at the weekend, the United manager issued his verdict on Collyer as he looks to make a breakthrough at senior level this coming season. "You know me, I always want to make pathways for young players but they have to earn it. He's now earned an opportunity.
“Today he was in the starting XI, that's something, and we see how we can progress. We saw last year with Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo what can happen and so the pathway is also open for other players and Toby is there in fourth."
It is understood Ten Hag is also a big admirer of fellow midfielder Jack Fletcher, though the 17-year-old is slightly behind Collyer in the pecking order at the moment, but is equally viewed as having the potential to make it into the first-team set-up. United are open to promoting an academy midfielder in the forthcoming campaign as they look to revamp their options in that area of the pitch, with as many as two new signings targeted.
Collyer is yet to make his senior United debut but has been named on the bench eight times under Ten Hag, with his only previous senior appearance coming last summer when he played for a United academy side in their pre-season defeat to Wrexham. United fought off serious competition when they signed Collyer from the Brighton & Hove Albion academy in 2022, and he has been a regular in first-team training ever since Ten Hag's first few months at the club.