Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has unleashed another Ghanaian prodigy in the English Premier League and got Ghanaians excited at the prospect of the youngster being tracked by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to play for Ghana in the future.
Last Saturday Omari Forson will make his first start for United against Fulham at Old Trafford,
With another Ghanaian youngster, Kobbie Mainoo, gradually establishing himself in the United starting line-up, Ghanaians will be hopeful of seeing the two youngsters abandoning their country of birth to play for Ghana, with the GFA, Executive Council member, Randy Abbey, recently revealing that the football governing body was monitoring such young talents.
Rasmus Hojlund’s injury provided an opportunity for Coach Ten Hag to throw the starlet into his first team as Forson provides his manager with options as a versatile attacking player who has primarily played either as an attacking midfielder or as a wide midfielder in United’s youth teams. He replaced Hojlund in the victory at Wolves earlier this month.
Last Saturday the 19-year-old was deployed in a front three alongside Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho against Fulham in a match the London side won 2-1.
Ten Hag’s decision to hand a start to Forson — who is out of contract at Old Trafford in June — over more established attacking options Amad and Antony is being viewed as a huge vote of confidence in the England Under-20 international, born in England to Ghanaian parents and, therefore, eligible to play for Ghana as well.
Forson has appeared as a substitute in the recent FA Cup victories over Wigan Athletic and Newport County, while also emerging in the 86th minute of the side’s Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, in which he provided the assist for Mainoo’s winning goal.
Forson joined United in January 2019 from Tottenham Hotspur and has risen through the ranks of the club’s youth teams, featuring in the Under-18s FA Youth Cup-winning team in 2022 — alongside current first-team stars Mainoo and Garnacho.
Forson was also part of the matchday squad for United's Champions League group stage defeats away to Bayern Munich and FC Copenhagen. He also scored twice in this season's EFL Trophy while playing for the club's under-21 side.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Coach Ten Hag included the teenager in his senior squad for United's pre-season tour. On February 2, Forson was handed his debut as he came on as a substitute in the Red Devils' dramatic 4-3 win over Wolves.
Source: Graphic Sports