Anthony Elanga is looking follow the likes of Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford in taking the well-trodden path from teenage talent at Manchester United to first-team regular.
An 18-year-old with superb skill, finishing and trickery, the forwardâs promising performances saw him named last seasonâs Jimmy Murphy youth-team player of the year.
Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville are previous winners of a hotly contested in-house award that has also been won by current United first-teamers Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe and Greenwood.
Elanga followed the latter in receiving the award and is now looking to join his fellow teenager in Ole Gunnar Solskjaerâs first-team set-up, having got a taste of it in a pre-season friendly at Aston Villa.
âYou look at the likes of Mason and Rashy, there is a pathway there,â the teenager told the PA news agency.
It just shows you that if youâre willing to put the work into it and continue to work hard day in, day out in training thereâs a pathway for you there.
Obviously weâve got a manager in Ole trusting the youngsters, so thereâs a pathway there and Iâve just got to keep working hard.
In training Iâm always working hard and the way that I train is the way that I play.
You can see that in the results and Iâm just happy at the moment, Iâm enjoying my football.
Elanga has continued to impress since development footballâs belated resumption after the first lockdown, helping Neil Woodâs side qualify from their EFL Trophy group with Wednesdayâs trip to Morecambe still to come.
The 18-year-old has long been considered a hot prospect at Old Trafford, where he has pushed through the age groups having been spotted by the club shortly after moving to the north-west from Sweden seven years ago.
âI always grew up watching United and when Iâd seen that I got scouted I was like, âWoah, itâs an opportunity I canât say no toâ,â the Sweden youth international said with a Manchester twang.
âMy mum and dad always said just stay focused and donât let success get to your head, if that makes sense. Donât get complacent.
âAlways look to improve, always look to ask coaches for help, ask them how youâre doing.
âWatch over your clips, analyse your games, analyse your training.
âYou can always get better and better. Never get complacent and just stay humble.â
The teenager not only has a striking mindset but an impressive family pedigree, with his father Joseph Elanga part of Cameroonâs 1998 World Cup squad and international team-mate of Samuel Etoâo.
âObviously my dad used to play with him and always said he was an example to look at, the way he was on the pitch,â the 18-year-old said of the well-travelled former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward.
âWe play similar positions â he used to play left striker or right wing â and Thierry Henry used to do the same, so probably the two most people that I used to look up to growing up.
âMy dad is the reason why I fell in love with football, really. I remember watching him.
âHe was a left-back. He was quick â obviously Iâm quicker! â but he was a really good player.
âHe was tough â and still is. After games heâll tell me what Iâve done well and what I can improve on, which is good.
âYou need something like that to keep you going because you canât just relax on one game. You can always get better and better.
âHe does talk to me about it because it is important. He always tells me to stay focused and keep my head down.
âIf I can continue my head down and keep working hard, there is a pathway there and obviously for the national team if you want to play in the World Cups, play in the Euros and things like that youâve got to do the same.
âIt is an inspiration to have him around.â
Š Press Association
