Manchester United's 'next big thing' who England are desperate to keep from Nigeria

An 18-year-old player at Manchester United is already being eyed by England as a potential future star - if the Three Lions can stop him from representing Nigeria instead.

Habeeb Ogunneye hasn't made his senior debut for the Red Devils yet and might not be well-known to the average football fan, but those who coach him at United's Carrington training ground speak highly of him. In fact, Lee Carsley, the boss of England U21, has identified him as a possible future star.

Ogunneye, who was on the bench for United during their FA Cup victory at Nottingham Forest this week, has played for England U17s three times. However, he also has Nigerian roots and could play for the Super Eagles. This means that England will want to keep him in their international youth system, hoping to see how he develops through the age groups. Meanwhile, his progress at club level seems to be going well.

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He may have to wait for his full debut at United, given the excellent performances of right-back Diogo Dalot this season. But Erik ten Hag, the boss of United, has been closely monitoring the full-back and believes he has what it takes to succeed at Old Trafford. Ogunneye, 18, has been gradually making his mark at United. He was invited to train with the first team ahead of the Forest game due to a number of injuries in defence. Although he usually plays as a right back, he hopes to become an attacking wing back in the future.

In 2022, Ogunneye signed his first professional contract with United and has been a regular player for the U21 team, under the guidance of