Ethan Wheatley: Man Utd's next homegrown goal machine who packs a punch

Wheatley was born in the Greater Manchester town of Stockport, which has gained fame in football circles lately after producing Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo. He has family heritage in Malaysia, where his grandmother comes from, making him eligible for selection for their national team, though he has already represented England at Under-17 level.

Wheatley has been with United's academy since he was a child, signing his first contract with the club when he turned 16 in 2022. He used to be known as a shy personality, and club staff recall him being so homesick during a tour of the Czech Republic aged 11 that they had to bribe him with chocolate pancakes for him to play!

After making his way through the various age-group sides, Wheatley had been scoring steadily for the U18s side this season, but saved one of his best performances for the visit to arch rivals Liverpool in April, bagging a hat-trick in an incredible 9-1 win.

It was a fixture Wheatley must have been looking forward to for some time and with revenge on his mind after being punched and elbowed by Luca Furnell-Gill in a previous match against the Reds. And Wheatley clearly had that incident on his mind when he scored his first goal and United's second on enemy territory, re-enacting Wayne Rooney's iconic celebration by pretending to be a boxer before falling flat on the floor.

He imitated another legend of the game when he arrowed in his second goal, meanwhile, doing a knee slide while crossing his arms in a manner reminiscent of Kylian Mbappe.

If that was a good way to kick-off April, then Wheatley had a week to remember at the end of the month. He was part of the matchday squad for United's FA Cup semi-final tie against Coventry City at Wembley, and then two days later scored twice against Manchester City in the final of the U18 Premier League Cup.

He was taken off at half-time in the 3-1 win, but it was for a very good reason. The next day he was at Old Trafford and joined the first-team squad for the Premier League match against Sheffield United, making his senior debut when he replaced Hojlund in the 91st minute of the 4-2 win.

A chunky amount of stoppage-time meant Wheatley got some time to express himself and was almost teed up by Bruno Fernandes inside the area, only for the cross to be blocked. It was not just any old cameo either, as Wheatley had become the 250th academy graduate to make their debut for United's first team.

"It's not been a bad 24 hours. It's a great club with a massive history, especially in the academy. It's an honour to make my debut and that number - 250. That's a little bit extra," he said. "Bruno pulled me to the side and said: ‘I've got nine minutes to try and get you a goal!' So I was just trying to get in that position for him and obviously it didn't come, but hopefully soon."

Wheatley has an insatiable hunger for scoring, demonstrated by his 22 goals this season across all competitions, for both the U18s and U21s. He is capable of scoring goals of all types, with his right foot, his left and his head, and from all angles.

His awareness, clever movement and sharp reactions in the area help him mop up loose balls and score, while he relishes dribbling around goalkeepers. He also has a knack for scoring from tight angles, as he demonstrated with his strikes inside the near post against both Liverpool and City.

Wheatley has a good physique for a striker, standing at 6'1, but his stature does not affect his ability to dance around defenders and make them look like fools.

Wheatley has already got a lot of attention for becoming the club's 250th academy graduate, but he needs to make sure that it is not the only thing he becomes remembered for during his time with United. He needs to prove he can make a successful jump from the U18s to the first team and be consistent.

"When a boy makes a debut there is still work to be done. For Ethan, this week alone, he is still dancing between Under-18s, Under-21s and the first team. He is not graduated in my mind, he will not progress into our first-team dressing room yet, he still has learning to do," said Nick Cox, United's director of academy.

"When they debut, we are quite subtle with it with the player at the time because Ethan has to come to work today to try and train hard to get into the team again. He’s got to start a game, then he’s got to get to five games, and if he gets to 50 games he might be able to call it his job. We don’t get complacent and we don’t over-celebrate."

Wheatley's stature, pace and skill have drawn comparisons with Danny Welbeck, another Manchester-born striker who rose from the academy into the first team. His two-footedness, movement and his ability to score from impossible angles are also reminiscent of Mason Greenwood.

Wheatley will continue to play for United' youth teams for the remainder of the campaign while training with the first team and being available for selection. United's injury crisis and the continued absence of Martial mean he has a strong chance of appearing again for Ten Hag's side, as he is the only other centre-forward behind Hojlund.

He is expected to be heavily involved in the pre-season campaign, not least because so many first-teamers will be on their breaks following the European Championship and Copa America. The club will then have to decide whether to send Wheatley out on loan to get more senior experience or whether to keep him around for the new season.

United are likely to be in the market for a striker as Martial is leaving, but given the club's monumental struggles with injuries this season, not to mention Wheatley's remarkable recent record in front of goal, there is a strong case for them to keep him on.