Erik ten Hag is set to hand a chance to Manchester United youngster Will Fish in pre-season despite an exit from the club drawing close.
The 20-year-old is a product of the Red Devils’ famed academy and made his first-team debut with a short cameo on the final day of the 2020/21 season. Since then, he has found opportunities harder to come by.
However, Ten Hag is set to give him an opportunity to impress as United kick-off their pre-season assignments. The Red Devils take on fierce rivals Leeds United in Oslo on Wednesday. They then take on French side Lyon in Edinburgh next Wednesday.
Fish will likely be granted outings having already been named in the squad for the clash with Leeds. The youngster will be hopeful of better fortune this time around. He was also afforded an opportunity last summer as United took on Premier League rivals Crystal Palace in Australia.
However, he was given a straight red card just 19 minutes after being introduced as a substitute. With the Red Devils already 3-0 up, he failed to clear the ball away from Eagles starlet Victor Akinwale.
Fish was then forced to haul his opponent down and was as a result sent off for a professional challenge. Regardless of his performances, it appears that he will very quickly be on the move.
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According to the Manchester Evening News, Fish will stay in Scotland to finalise a return to Hibernian, where he spent last season on-loan. After joining the side at the start of the campaign, he managed to make 21 appearances in all competitions and scored three goals.
The former Stockport loanee then revealed that he did not want to return to academy football this season. Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, he said: "I definitely wouldn't go back to playing reserves football. I think everyone is on the same page with that.
"Once you get a taste of that Saturday 3pm, when there's pressure to get three points and you've got fans cheering you on, it's hard to get that feeling elsewhere. I'm definitely going to go somewhere."
Meanwhile, he was also full of praise for his previous stint with Hibs. “If I'm being honest, I didn't realise how a big a club it is and what it means to the fans,” Fish added.
“There aren’t many clubs down south, outside of the Premier League, that would get the backing that Hibs do. That surprised me
"I think it's a massive club. Living in Edinburgh, everyone is either Hibs or Hearts. It feels like a football culture around the place. It's definitely been an eye-opener and I owe a lot to Hibs for giving me this chance."
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