Greenwood makes Premier League debut for United

Mason Greenwood made his Premier League debut during Sunday’s match at Arsenal and his introduction as a substitute highlights how much Ole Gunnar Solskjaer trusts the 17-year-old Academy graduate, according to former Manchester United youth product Danny Webber.

Greenwood replaced Nemanja Matic after 81 minutes at the Emirates Stadium and displayed his excellent potential throughout the closing stages, when the Reds were attempting to come from behind after conceding goals to Gunners duo Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

During the post-match discussion on MUTV, former United striker and Academy graduate Webber was keen to explain what those minutes in a big Premier League match signify for Greenwood.

“I think any experience at that level is important,” Webber told Helen Evans. “He is 17 years old and not long ago signed a professional contract. So he is very young. He has done very well in the Under-23s and Under-18s. He has earned his position in the squad at this moment in time.

”Getting minutes in games like that, when you are behind, you see what character you need, and the fact that Ole trusts him to go on the pitch and try to change the game means he obviously thinks very highly of him. I am sure he will repay him in the long term and those minutes will be valuable.“

While Greenwood will naturally feel disappointed by the result at Arsenal, like all of his team-mates, there is no denying that this has been a significant week in his fledgling career after the teenager made his first-team debut during the UEFA Champions League win at Paris Saint-Germain in France.

His next match for the club might be on Wednesday afternoon, when Nicky Butt’s talented Under-19s take on FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Youth League in Denmark. It is important to note that the squad for that trip is still to be confirmed.