Manchester United officially announces youth academy talent Foden's promotion to the first team! Young star renews contract, aiming to participate in this summer's preseason matches.

Manchester United youth academy winger Shea Lacey has officially become a first-team player, confirmed by the Red Devils' U21 head coach Adam Lawrence. He joked about intending to persuade Carrick to allow this 18-year-old player to represent his U21 team in next Tuesday's Premier League International Cup semifinal, where the United youth team will face Real Madrid.

Lawrence stated: "Normally, Shea (Lacey) trains with the first team and participates in their training program. However, when needed, he also plays for the U21 youth team. Previously, he encountered minor injuries a couple of times, which affected his development rhythm. That was the biggest obstacle after joining the first team; hopefully, everything goes smoothly now, he can stay healthy, and continue with good training."

Lacey made his first-team debut this season; during Darren Fletcher's interim coaching against Burnley, he substituted and hit the post with a shot, nearly scoring a decisive goal for his first. Unfortunately, Lacey was sent off in the FA Cup match against Brighton, then suffered a training injury, and only resumed normal training before the international break.

On March 20, Lacey returned to the field, playing for Manchester United U21 against Reading, and assisted Victor Musa in scoring the winning goal. Lawrence said: "He is handling the transition from U21 to the first team; now, he trains daily with the senior squad."

Lacey is a left-footed player who plays as a right winger, compared to Manchester City's England international Phil Foden. Manchester United U21 hopes he can play against Real Madrid at Old Trafford, but during that time the first team is training in Dublin, Ireland; whether Lacey can participate depends on internal discussions.

Lawrence explained: "As a coach, I naturally hope Shea plays as many matches as possible. But at the same time, training with the first team will greatly benefit him. We believe he will ultimately become a qualified first-team player."

Lawrence added: "Michael (Carrick) strongly supports my work. He understands which matches are very important for the club and which are worth his and the club's participation. They will certainly provide support, but not at the expense of the first team's work or their training schedule. Michael told me last week during a brief conversation. The discussion was about the mid-season training camp next week and how the first team can support the implementation of this plan."

Lacey's career has often been troubled by injuries. After winning the U18 title with Manchester United in 2023, he missed England's U17 World Cup due to a thigh strain. It took nearly two years until September 2025, when Shea played his first full 90-minute match in the EFL Cup against Lincoln City.

Lawrence said: "Shea is a very special case; such players are rarely seen in matches. Because his technical level has always been top-tier, truly elite among elites. However, his physical development came later. Managing such players is not easy; the ability they show when controlling the ball honestly reaches first-team level. Yet, from a practical match perspective, they need more time and patience. So, for Shea, this period is crucial for him to consistently establish himself in the first team."

In April 2024, Manchester United signed Lacey's first professional contract, lasting five years. Lawrence concluded: "He is definitely a player that excites the club."

This week, Manchester United officially announced a two-year contract extension for Lacey's youth academy teammate, 19-year-old Jaydan Kamason, with an additional season's priority renewal option. Kamason and his agent met with United's youth academy department head and signed the new contract on Monday.

This right-back with dual nationality (England and Sierra Leone) hopes to join Manchester United's first-team preseason roster this summer, when Diogo Dalot represents Portugal and Mazraoui represents Morocco in the World Cup, giving Kamason the chance to make his first-team debut in the club's six European preseason matches. After the 2024/25 season ended, Kamason was taken by Ruben Amorim to Asia for two post-season friendly matches.