Chido Obi reacts to Ayden Heaven’s ‘glad’ message after Fulham knock out Man United
Ayden Heaven was handed his first-team debut as Man United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham on Sunday.
The 18-year-old defender arrived at Old Trafford during the winter transfer window, following in the footsteps of Chido Obi-Martin after joining from Arsenal.
Heaven had made just one senior appearance for the Gunners before making the move, but with Harry Maguire being replaced in extra time, the youngster was trusted to take his place.
Marco Silva’s side took the lead at Old Trafford on 2 March, with Calvin Bassey scoring his first-ever goal in the competition for Fulham, pouncing on slack defending from the Red Devils.
Bruno Fernandes, however, stepped up as the club captain, firing a smart strike past Bernd Leno in the second half and sending the game all the way to penalties after 30 minutes of extra time.
Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Casemiro all slotted their spot-kicks away, only for Leno to save Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee’s efforts, leaving the latter absolutely heartbroken after months of struggling at Man United.
Ayden Heaven ready for more first-team chances at Man United
Taking to Instagram [3 March], following his debut, Heaven wrote: “Despite the unfortunate result, I am glad to have made my debut for one of the biggest clubs in the world!
“Hopefully many more to come,” with a love heart emoji, a message which was greeted with messages from fellow former Gunners youngster Obi-Martin and Toby Collyer, who wrote: “So proud of you, mate” and “Nice bro!”.
Ruben Amorim must focus on positives after Fulham defeat
Heaven has every right to be disappointed with the result on his debut, but having proven himself in the most difficult of situations, Ruben Amorim can take great solace in his performance.
While the youngster was only on the pitch for 30 minutes, there was nothing or nobody getting past him, even having a headed attempt at goal before the game eventually went to penalties.
| Ayden Heaven v Fulham, as per FotMob |
| 30 minutes played |
| 100% pass completion |
| 1 shot |
| 3 clearances |
| 100% aerial duels won |
Amorim, who has already been tipped to leave Man United, will need to make plenty of chances during the summer transfer window, but Heaven and Obi-Martin are two very exciting prospects.
Revamping the squad at the end of the season is likely to be a difficult task, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe having to cut costs back at Man United, so there could be a plethora of exits before any signings are made.