'He was unbelievable' - Meet teenager becoming a national hero before making his Man United debut

As James Scanlon peels away from the six-yard box a horde of red-shirted teammates sprint after him, but this isn't Manchester United. This is the Europa Point Stadium at the southern tip of Gibraltar and the 17-year-old Scanlon is heading towards the stand where most of the 681 spectators are seated.

The clock reads 96:08 when his close-range header hits the back of the Liechtenstein net and the smallest crowd in this round of UEFA Nations League fixtures are toasting a new national hero. Scanlon's goal puts Gibraltar on course for back-to-back wins during the September international break, only for Liechtenstein to score a 104th-minute penalty to ensure the game ends 2-2.

It was a bittersweet moment for Scanlon, who became the youngest goalscorer in Gibraltar's history but saw an injury-time goal that looked like being the winner cancelled out. It was still another valuable week for a teenager who turns 18 later this month and is becoming something of a star back in the 2.6sq mile country, with a population of just over 32,000 where his grandparents still live.

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This weekend Scanlon was back to the day job. He was in the north east with United, playing a third game of the season for the Under-18s as they faced Newcastle at the Tyneside club's academy. It was a very different vibe from the buzz of international football, but then Scanlon is in that rare position of making his international breakthrough before establishing himself at club level.

The attacking midfielder joined United from Derby County in 2023 and signed his first