Wilson Nets Academy Prize

James Wilson has been named the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year for 2014.

The Staffordshire-born forward, who has scored goals at four different levels this year – Under-18, Under-19, Under-21 and first-team – picked up the award on a memorable week for the young starlet who netted a brace on his debut for the club against Hull City on Tuesday.

The Reds’ no. 47 was considered for the award despite only playing eight games, and scoring seven goals, in the Barclays Under-18 Premier League. Nonetheless, he was a key figure in the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League campaigns for Paul McGuinness and Nicky Butt's teams.

"It was straightforward really," McGuinness told ManUtd.com. "Wilson is, by far, the outstanding player. He didn't play a lot of time in the Under-18s as he moved up to the Reserves but we don't always take it that they have to play for the Academy team and he had the Under-19s as well.

"He has been a little disrupted by injury and illness but he's an outstanding prospect and is getting stronger and fitter. It's really helped him working up with Warren Joyce in that respect and, as he develops, so is his concentration. He needs to be in the game more and get into clever positions, whether he's attacking or defending, to win the ball back. He needs to play off the shoulder and stay onside and all these things but he's a great lad and I'm sure he'll keep working hard.

"We expect him to do really well. He's possibly a player he could burst onto the scene with great effect and would certainly excite the crowd at Old Trafford. To be honest, if you can score goals like he does in the Under-18s then you can do that against first-team players because there is no catching you if you're that quick.

Wilson beat off competition from fellow nominees Josh Harrop and Sean Goss to win the trophy and in doing so follows in the footsteps of some famous names such as Danny Welbeck, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and, the man who gave the 18-year-old his debut, Ryan Giggs.

"Harrop has done particularly well in the last part of the season," explained McGuinness. "He's stepped up and knows he's ready to go into the Reserves. Goss is a really elegant footballer, with a lovely left foot, who can play terrific football. We expect both of them to go on and have really good careers."