Rio Ferdinand believes youngsters Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal have given Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag "food for thought" following their performances in Friday's 4-1 win over Melbourne Victory.
Just as they did against Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday, the duo stepped off the bench at half-time, with Ten Hag making the decision to make ten changes at the break. They slotted into a midfield three, with Donny van de Beek operating just ahead of them.
While Savage kept things neat and tidy with a wide range of excellent passes, Iqbal was a little more adventurous, catching the eye with his driving runs and one sublime piece of skill that brought a few cheers from the crowd. They both looked at home in their roles and did not appear fazed by playing alongside several big-name stars.
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And the duo, who both made their senior debuts for United in a 1-1 draw with Young Boys in the Champions League last December, caught Ferdinand's eye.
"I've watched the last two pre-season friendlies and the young lads in midfield there – Charlie Savage has been excellent, Zidane's been very good as well," Ferdinand told Vibe with Five. "So I think it's good food for thought. It's always that way in pre-season, you get a couple of players who come out of nowhere and you go, 'I didn't expect that from them'. I remember Jesse Lingard all those years ago when David Moyes came and I remember Moyes saying: 'Rio, I didn't realise Jesse Lingard was that good'.
"[Wilfried] Zaha was brilliant in pre-season, it didn't quite work out for him in the long run (at United) but you can get your opportunity in pre-season and fly. I'm excited about some of the young players getting opportunities in pre-season - it's good."
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