Premier League news conferences as Man City go second in table

Manchester United history
maker Ethan Wheatley celebrated becoming the 250th Academy graduate
to make his first-team debut for the Old Trafford club by going to school.

The 18-year-old striker was
an injury-time replacement for Rasmus Hojlund in last night’s 4-2 win over
Sheffield United.

It capped a remarkable week
for Stockport-born Wheatley, who was on the bench for the FA Cup semi-final
against Coventry at the weekend and then played a key role in United Under-18s
Premier League Cup final win against Manchester City on Tuesday.

But it didn’t excuse him his
studies as he aims to get an Extended Diploma in Marketing.

“He has been at school this
morning,” said United’s head of academy, Nick Cox.

“When you are a youth team
player, you are still of scholarship age and duty bound to continue with your
education. He is in the upper sixth, so he has to stay at the school until the
end of the year.

“He has been pestering us to
come into school and get the education finished. He has never told me this but
I would suspect one motive is that it would feel pretty good walking into
school having just made your Manchester United debut. I don’t blame him for
that.”

An England Under-17
international, Wheatley showed no fear during his brief time on the pitch at
Old Trafford and is likely to keep his place in Erik ten Hag’s squad for
Saturday’s Premier League encounter with Burnley.

It is a far cry from a trip
to the Czech Republic as an 11-year-old recalled in a conversation between Cox
and Neil Gittens, United’s head of player development for youngsters between
the ages of nine and 12 in the wake of Wheatley’s senior bow.

“Neil and I took Ethan on a
tour to the Czech Republic,” said Cox. “We were recalling how nervous and
tearful he was about being away from home.

“He was a little bit overawed
by the whole experience. We had to encourage him and coax him to play games. We
were basically bribing him with chocolate pancakes. That feels like yesterday.”