Donny van de Beek and Hannibal might be competing for one Manchester United role

It's unusual for a player who has reached the semi-finals of the Champions League to celebrate a goal in pre-season with much emotion, but Donny van de Beek's volley against Lyon clearly meant a lot to him.

Van de Beek let out a cry of relief at Murrayfield and briefly lifted his hands to cover his face. The 26-year-old has scored more important goals and played in hundreds of more important matches, but this was a moment of personal satisfaction for a footballer who has lost his way.

The Dutchman is still on the comeback trail from a knee injury that ended his 2022/23 season in January and he knows his future might still lie away from Old Trafford. In three seasons since his £35million move from Ajax there have been just six Premier League starts.

A reunion with Erik ten Hag last summer didn't offer the uplift expected and although he played 10 games before sustaining that injury against Bournemouth, he was rarely at his best. As a stand-in for Bruno Fernandes, he couldn't offer the same intensity and quality.

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Now back fit, the expectation is he could still move on this summer. Ten Hag needs to sell to raise funds and Van de Beek's performances at Ajax probably still make him attractive to plenty of clubs on the continent. He has credit in the bank, despite his struggles at United.

But glimpses of what everyone knows he can do only increase the temptation to give him another chance. Ten Hag knows better than anyone else at United just how good Van de Beek can be at his very best. His cushioned volley from Dan Gore's excellent cross was a sign of his quality.

He was playing in the role that Ten Hag feels suits him best, a more advanced position