Manchester United’s loanees have been making waves this season, but one player’s latest achievement is sure to irritate Gary Neville.
While Jonny Evans’ exact responsibilities behind the scenes aren’t often highlighted, the success of United’s loan group this year reflects strongly on his work overseeing player development. A number of young talents have used their temporary spells away from Old Trafford to take big steps forward.
Harry Amass has been the headline act, slotting into Championship football as if he’s been there for years and giving fellow academy stars a blueprint to follow. Radek Vitek has continued to impress at Bristol City, and Toby Collyer has become a dependable figure for West Brom. And in League One, another exciting story is unfolding.
After two loan moves that never really caught fire, Dan Gore is finally enjoying his moment with Rotherham United. He’s staying fit, playing regularly, and contributing meaningfully—something he had struggled to find before. His progress reached a new high when he scored the first senior goal of his career during Rotherham’s commanding 7–2 win over Salford City in the EFL Cup round of 32.
United’s staff will no doubt be thrilled… but Neville, whose Salford side suffered that bruising defeat, certainly won’t be.
Fans have been reacting to the progress of the club’s youngsters, with many insisting that Amass has been the standout loanee so far—some even believe he could walk into the first team ahead of Dalot and Dorgu based on current form.
Gore isn’t the only one enjoying a strong loan spell. Ethan Wheatley, who had an underwhelming stint at Walsall last season, looks like a completely different player at Northampton Town. The young forward has already bagged three League One goals and is drawing praise for the maturity in his play. In Tuesday’s 2–0 win over Wycombe, he produced a brilliant performance, added an assist, and claimed the man-of-the-match award.
Both Gore and Wheatley are showing rapid development, and if Gore keeps up this level, he might put himself firmly on Ruben Amorim’s radar when next summer rolls around.
