Joshua Zirkzee sends stunned message to Ayden Heaven as his full Man Utd stats emerge
Ayden Heaven was granted his first start for Man United in their Europa League win against Real Sociedad.
Man United overcame their 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad after a dominant 4-1 win in the second leg, securing their place into the quarter-finals.
Bruno Fernandes was the hero of the night, netting a hat-trick, while Diogo Dalot also got on the scoresheet. However, The game had a frantic opening 20 minutes as both Real Sociedad and Man United were both awarded penalties.
United were then awarded a second spot-kick to take the lead in the second-half, though former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett suggested Patrick Dorgu exaggerated the foul to win the spot-kick.
Amid the action, 18-year-old Heaven made his full debut, delivering an assured performance that didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates.
Ayden Heaven shines for Man United as Joshua Zirkzee reacts
The youngster joined United from Arsenal in the January transfer window, despite making just one senior appearance for the Gunners.
Heaven’s impressive display against Arsenal in their recent Premier League meeting earned him a start in the Europa League, and he repaid Ruben Amorim’s faith with a standout performance.
| Match statistics | Ayden Heaven |
| Minutes played | 90+ |
| Duels (won) | 4 (4) |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
The youngster won all of his duels and was not dribbled past once. His composure and maturity were beyond his years, catching the attention of Joshua Zirkzee, who reposted a picture of Heaven on Instagram with the caption: “Serious!!”
As for Zirkzee, he started the match but was unable to get on the scoresheet. Despite some dangerous runs, he set up a key chance for strike partner Rasmus Hojlund, which could have extended United’s lead.
Ruben Amorim can trust Ayden Heaven for Man United amid defensive injury crisis
With Lisandro Martinez ruled out for the rest of the season and both Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire currently sidelined, Heaven has a golden opportunity to stake his claim in the starting XI.
United’s defensive struggles have been evident, conceding 40 goals and keeping just seven clean sheets in the Premier League this season.
Andre Onana’s inconsistency at the back has added to their problems, but Heaven’s emergence comes at a crucial time for Amorim. However, the focus now shifts to the league, with United set to travel to Leicester City on 16 March.