Blackett Backing United Youth

Tyler Blackett insists the current crop of Manchester United youngsters will be able to hold their own in the first team if called upon by manager Louis van Gaal this season.

Blackett made 12 appearances for United during the 2014/15 campaign and has featured heavily in the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, alongside fellow youth-team graduates Sam Johnstone, Paddy McNair, Jesse Lingard, Andres Pereira, James Wilson and Adnan Januzaj.

Van Gaal has been busy in the transfer market this summer, bolstering his squad with the additions of Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Sergio Romero as he attempts to mastermind a Premier League title challenge.

And despite the new wealth of international talent at the club, Blackett is confident he and the rest of his former academy teammates can make a positive impact on the first team this term.

“Playing for this club throughout the years, you know that homegrown players can step up to the first team, which is always good, and to do it together is amazing,” the 21-year-old told the club’s official website.

“We have all been together throughout the reserves, we are all comfortable with each other as players, we all know each other and how we all play, which is why we all click together.”

Naturally a centre-back, Blackett has so far been deployed at left-back by Van Gaal in the pre-season matches with Club America, San Jose Earthquakes and Barcelona.

Ahead of United’s final tour match with Paris Saint-Germain in Chicago on Thursday, Blackett says he hopes his experiences from last season – when he played as a centre-back and left-back – will stand him in good stead.

“I have definitely learned a lot from last season. I am hoping to push on again and hopefully the appearances I made will only help me this season," he added.

“I just want to improve on my defensive game and, if I am playing at left-back, I can improve on my attacking game as well.”

Credit: Skysports.com