Wilson Assesses His Growth At United

James Wilson believes his first full season in Manchester United's first-team squad is enhancing his development, both as a person and a professional footballer.

The 19-year-old forward admits to being a "quiet person" in this Saturday’s edition of United Review, though he exudes a confidence and self-belief that has undoubtedly fuelled his ascent through the youth ranks, helping him to become one of the most exciting prospects in the Barclays Premier League.

After making his senior debut in May under the interim management of Ryan Giggs, Wilson has since earned the trust of Louis van Gaal, who isn’t exactly shy when it comes to blooding young talent. The Biddulph-born striker is now a bona fide star at Old Trafford and hopes to accelerate his education over the second half of the campaign.

When asked if there was a particular moment when he first felt like a first-team player, Wilson replied: “The first few weeks were I suppose a bit strange because I hadn’t been around the players for long, which is natural. But the lads were all great with me and were constantly speaking to me.

“I would say that I am a bit of a quiet person anyway, but they have helped me to progress as a person and a footballer. The point was probably just after the first two weeks when I was getting on the bench and making a few appearances. It was then when I thought ‘I’m in the squad now’.”

Wilson scored his first goal of the current campaign during the recent 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers and hopes to add to his account if selected against Leicester City on Saturday. As he explains, he is already benefiting from the confidence boost provided by his maiden strike at Loftus Road.

“Even in training now I have felt a lot more confident, it has helped me a lot," he added. "They say your first goal of the season is probably the toughest one to score. Hopefully that is just my first one and I can keep going game by game, getting as many minutes as I can and a few more goals.”