Harry Amass: Man Utd teenager out to solve Erik ten Hag's latest defensive injury crisis

Amass grew up in London and when he was nine years old joined the Watford academy, which has previously produced former United winger Ashley Young, as well as Jadon Sancho.

He was regarded as the brightest youngster at Watford and soon caught the attention of England's youth coaches. He represented the Under-15 side in 2022, and has since played at U16 and U17 level.

Amass first gained attention beyond Watford's academy when then-first-team coach Slaven Bilic named on the bench for an FA Cup third-round tie against Reading in January 2023, when the left-back was still 15. Amass didn't get on the pitch and Watford were beaten 2-0, but he had already made a name for himself.

The big clubs soon sat up and took notice, as Chelsea and United both set about trying to sign him. United eventually prevailed, sealing a deal in August 2023 after Stephen Ajewole, their scout in the south of England, recommended him, while head of academy Nick Cox and Luke Fedorenko, head of academy recruitment, got the deal over the line.

Amass stood out in the U18s and was soon promoted to the U21s. He also began training with United's first team in the New Year, when he was still 16, and was named on the bench for the first time for the Premier League game against Liverpool in April, a month after he had turned 17. He was part of six Premier League matchday squads until the end of the season and for the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry, although he remained an unused substitute each time.

Amass made his debut for the United first team in the second half of their opening pre-season friendly of the summer against Rosenborg, and despite the team losing 1-0 and receiving an angry rant from Ten Hag, Amass appeared again in the subsequent 2-0 win over Rangers and then started against Arsenal in Los Angeles.

He was one of United's best performers in the 3-2 win over Real Betis, setting up Amad's goal, while he also stood out against Liverpool, even though United were well beaten 3-0. He had the daunting task of coming up against Mohamed Salah, but proved more than up to it, staying on top of Liverpool's talisman.

Amass may still be a teenager, but he has already got a reputation for being a tough tackler who is not afraid to show his aggression. He produced some hard-hitting tackles on Hector Bellerin and Rodri in the game against Betis, and also used his strength to shackle Salah.

"You’ve just got to show your aggressive side – you might be young, smaller than the opponent but you have to show you are aggressive, and don’t back down," he said.

The 17-year-old has also demonstrated his ability to get forward and make things happen in the final third, frequently joining the attack down the left wing.

Left-footed left-backs are becoming rarer in football these days due to the phenomenon of the inverted winger, which has made it harder for players to follow the familiar path of dropping from left wing to left-back.

Amass is very strong on his left foot but does appear to be less adept with his right, which could be a problem if he needs to invert and drop into midfield, as full-backs are increasingly asked to do.

He also lacks top-level experience and is understandably raw as a result. Ten Hag said: "He needs to catch up and he has to develop some of the skills needed to play for Manchester United, when we are competing for the highest position in the league."

Amass' precocious development is reminiscent of Luke Shaw, who made his debut for Southampton when he was 17 and signed for United when he was still 18. He is of a similar build to the England international and is known for his defensive strength as much as his attacking quality.

Fitness issues aside, Amass could hardly hope for a better role model to have at United than Shaw. "I think I can learn a lot of things from him," he said. "In my opinion, he's been one of the best left-backs in the Premier League in the last five years. I'm just speaking to him every day, just asking little things."

Ten Hag has admitted he would prefer for Amass to gain more experience in training before giving him a consistent run of games. He said: "We had it during last season with Kobbie, but he is not that far now at this moment. But if we train him well, if we coach him well, then in three months it's possible that he can be on that point.

However, Amass looks like being United's only fit left-back for the Community Shield against City as Ten Hag said there is "a question mark" over Shaw while Tyrell Malacia is not due back from his severe knee injury until October. Amass, then, is set to play some role at Wembley, and is likely to start games once the Premier League season begins next week. Having watched Garnacho and Mainoo be thrust into the limelight and thrive under pressure, Amass wants to do the same.

"We’ll see what happens when Luke and Tyrell come back, but my intention is to play first-team football at this club," he said. "If the opportunity comes, I’ve got to take it with both hands, it could change my career."