Manchester United coach Travis Binnion has explained Zidane Iqbal suits a deep midfield role because he is 'fearless'. Iqbal, 19, started in the first team's friendlies against Cadiz CF and Real Betis in Spain last week and he started for the Under-21s on Tuesday against Bolton in the Papa John's Trophy, which was his third appearance in just six days.
United's U21s were defeated 4-0 against Bolton but Iqbal caught the eye throughout the match with a composed performance.
Iqbal, who joined United's academy aged just nine years old, was highly regarded in the youth setup and he was promoted to Erik ten Hag's first-team squad in the summer after impressing on the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.
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Binninon was in charge of the U21s against Bolton on Tuesday night and he lauded the progress of Iqbal after the game.
"He played there [deep midfield] last week with the first team and I think his involvement in the first team has primarily been in that deeper role," Binnion told the Manchester Evening News . "He excels with the ball and he's got really good game understanding
"He's obviously still got work to do, but you can see the benefits and the progress in his game from being around the first team on a regular basis, so yeah, I thought he did a lot of good things [against Bolton]. He's fearless, so he'll take the ball anywhere.
"He's got really good technique and awareness. I also think he retained the ball well tonight under pressure. It's all well and good taking it, but you have to make sure there's an outcome with it and he's improving in that.
"I thought out of possession, it was difficult for the whole team and he stood up to that and did a lot of good things with. He's progressing really nicely and I think he's had a fantastic week in terms of finding out where he's at in the three games he's played in quick succession."
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