The Crumpsall-born kid has displayed all the traits United expect in their full-backs, a position in which they have endured something of an identity crisis in recent years. It is no wonder the Stretford End have taken to Williams. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer singled out Man Utd’s young left-back for praise after a win in Belgrade. “Brandon Williams was absolutely exceptional, man of the match for me.” “We got a result, but the performance wasn’t what we hoped for.” Solskjaer gave him man of the match that night United fans did the same following his maiden start in the Premier League. By that time, Williams had already got a couple of starts under his belt in the Europa League, the second of which saw him earn a decisive penalty in a 1-0 win at Partizan Belgrade.
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It was another month before Williams was offered a taste of first-team action, but since coming on as a half-time sub in the Carabao Cup shoot-out win over Rochdale, the Mancunian has barely looked back.Ī Premier League minute was earned as a late substitute against Liverpool at Old Trafford before a full league debut in the 3-1 home win over Brighton. In United’s next game after Shaw was injured against Crystal Palace, the teenager travelled with the Under-23s while Solskjaer picked Ashley Young to fill in with Marcos Rojo as further cover. Just 214 minutes into the Premier League campaign, Shaw’s hamstring went and so did Shaw from the first-team picture for three months.Įven then, Williams had to wait for his promotion. After making almost double the number of league appearances that he’d managed in any of his previous four years at United, the £30million signing began the season as Solskjaer’s first choice but, as so often has been the case before, injury struck at an inopportune time for the 24-year-old. Williams’ ascent has come at Shaw’s expense. Of last season’s Under-23s side, only Mason Greenwood has made more than the 15 appearances Williams has managed so far, but with the competition for places up front, it could be argued that the left-back is closer to becoming an undisputed first XI fixture. Williams has rocketed up the United reckoning, past three of his four contemporaries who toured with the big boys in the summer, and into the United first team while earning himself a new contract. Half a season later, the scenario could hardly look more different. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took ten defenders Down Under but Williams was not among them. The then-18-year-old was instead heading to Austria for a week of graft with Quinton Fortune’s second string. Waving off four of his Under-23s team-mates as they boarded the flight to Perth with Shaw and the rest of the senior squad stood Brandon Williams. Indeed, when he was omitted from the England squad for the Nations League finals, many felt he had been harshly judged. Okay, the Sir Matt Busby Trophy was a reward for being the shiniest turd in a sewer of a season for the Red Devils but for Shaw it marked a big step forward after long periods of regression at Old Trafford. Six months ago, Luke Shaw was in Australia before heading to the Far East as part of a full pre-season programme as Manchester United’s reigning Player of the Season.
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