'Growing a lot' - Manchester United youngster given glowing verdict by new manager after risky transfer
Man Utd sent 18 players out on loan during the summer transfer window and one of them has started very well.
Of the 18 players to leave Manchester United on loan in the summer transfer window, nobody took a bigger risk than teenage defender Harry Amass.
The 18-year-old received several offers from EFL clubs and even some from across the continent, but opted for a move to Sheffield Wednesday in the hope he would play regularly in an environment that would best prepare him for a potential first-team role at Old Trafford.
Wednesday currently have five breaches listed against them on the EFL Embargo Reporting Service and had set the unwanted record for the most concurrent broken regulations listed since the site started to publicly reflect proceedings in June 2021 when it was six earlier in the month.
Yet for all their off-field troubles at the hands of owner Dejphon Chansiri, they have already exceeded many expectations in the Championship this season and sit 23rd with six points from their opening nine matches. It means they are three points above local rivals Sheffield United and one win could lift them four places up to 19th.
A key contributor to those performances has been Amass, who has made five appearances for his new club, in which they have only lost twice. The teenage left-back was not deemed physical enough to cope with the demands of the Premier League during his seven competitive appearances for the first team, but is showing signs of progress already in his loan spell.
Amass is joint-third in the Wednesday squad for tackles per game, and second for interceptions made, with manager Henrik Pedersen happy with his progress so far.
"I see a young man who is growing a lot right now, I see a young man who is mentally going to be stronger and stronger, and a young man who values the defensive stuff as much as the offensive stuff," he told the Yorkshire Post. "This is what he has to do when he one day goes back again, and wants to take the next level.
"How he has played defensively recently is very strong for Harry, very strong. He also brought more offensively, and that means his running capacity starts to increase, so he not only can work hard defensively, he can also start to work more offensively. He's a young man (going) in the right direction."
READ NEXT: Man Utd man scores stunning free-kick to help seal World Cup spot as star benched for 4-1 victory