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Ruben Amorim admits it was too soon to play Man Utd wonderkid as he owns up to error
Nov 24 2025 15:16 · By Scott Trotter/Sports Writer · 54 Reads
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Ruben Amorim has admitted that he thrust Manchester United starlet Chido Obi into the first-team picture too soon last season. The Red Devils' boss does not believe that his side were capable of helping the teenager as they suffered adversity.
United finished 15th in the Premier League last season and struggled to find three points after Amorim was appointed a year ago. As the Portuguese coach looked for answers to help turn around the club's form, Obi was afforded a number of opportunities.
The Danish forward was signed from Premier League rivals Arsenal and hit the ground running in the youth ranks, bagging 12 goals in 10 outings for the under-18s . He also fired in six goals in 16 appearances for the under-21s.
That saw Obi earn first-team recognition as he made eight appearances under Amorim. The striker has not appeared since the final day of last season against Fulham , however.
Amorim believes he did not foster the correct environment for Obi to thrive last term. “He played last year, but I think it was too soon," he said.
“We didn’t have a team we could put a young kid of 16 into and him not struggle.
“He’s one of the guys but he started too soon. Sometimes it’s hard to deal with that, with the kids, because they think that ‘I’m already here’. We need to be careful with that.”
Obi's youth team-mate Shea Lacey is said to be in contention for a first-team role. United are anticipating relying on their academy when losing players to AFCON later this year.
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Lacey could be named in United's squad to face Everton . The attacker has three goals and two assists for the under-21s this season
Amorim has been impressed with what he's seen so far., although the Portuguese coach was cautious in his assessment of the 18-year-old.
He said: “I’m really happy with him. He has a lot of talent but when they come here they can sense the speed is completely different, so they need to spend more time with us to be prepared because our training is hard.
“In Premier League games the pressure is harder, so they need to be ready.”
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