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Ruben Amorim explains why he picked Ayden Heaven ahead of Victor Lindelof
'He showed real confidence.'
Ruben Amorim has explained why he picked Ayden Heaven ahead of Victor Lindelof for Manchester United’s clash against Real Sociedad.
The 18-year-old centre-back was handed the first senior start of his career by United boss Amorim for Thursday’s Europa League second leg match.
Heaven only joined United on February 1 from Arsenal, joining the Red Devils for an undisclosed fee and signing a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The England U19 international made his United debut in the FA Cup defeat to Fulham earlier this month and then registered his first Premier League appearance against the Gunners on Sunday, coming in off the bench.
Heaven has now been named in the United XI for the first time with Amorim explaining the decision in his pre-match TNT Sports interview.
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‘We think he is ready,’ Amorim said about the young defender. ‘We have already thought that – we have to be patient.
‘But he showed real confidence in the the last game [against Arsenal]. We trust in him.’
Lindelof was named on the bench against Real Sociedad, with the Sweden international looking likely to leave Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The 30-year-old, joined United for £31m in 2015 when Jose Mourinho was manager, has been strongly linked with a move to former club Benfica.
United legend Paul Scholes shared his thoughts on Amorim’s decision to start Heaven ahead of Lindelof while working as a TNT Sports pundit.
‘He did okay [against Arsenal],’ Scholes said about Heaven. ‘[It was a] big game for him to come into. Sometimes, it’s a little bit easier to come in as a substitute.
‘You can only be impressed with him. This will be a tougher test to night, starting a game that means an awful lot.
‘I think Lindelof is unlucky to be left out [of United’s line-up]. I thought he looked good on Sunday [against Arsenal].’
Amorim was thrilled with Heaven’s contribution on his Premier League debut for United against his former club Arsenal on Sunday.
Playing on the left-hand side of a back three, Heaven performed admirably and stuck to his defensive duties while he also looked comfortable in possession.
‘I think he did really well,’ Amorim said when asked to assess Heaven’s display. ‘He is really comfortable with the ball.
‘So relaxed, very aggressive and I think we have a very good player there.’
Heaven, who spent his youth career at West Ham and Arsenal before his switch to United, has been capped twice by England U19s to date.
