From Red Bull Academy to Manchester United, Matthew Olosunde will be getting his chance to play for the Red Devils’ first team this Sunday when they take on Arsenal.
The 19-year old defender will be the fifth American to play for United after James Brown, Edward McIlvenney, Tim Howard and Johnathan Spector.
Olosunde spent the first part of his United career playing in the midfield. However, it was the switch to defense that really sparked his movement up the team.
This season, Olosunde has started 14 games for the Manchester United U-23 team, scoring 1 goal and assisting four.
This past month, he was even nominated for Manchester United goal of the month.
A stunning solo effort from Matthew Olosunde in the Dallas Cup!
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 3, 2017
See our other Goal of the Month nominees: https://t.co/HYocDVuMyt pic.twitter.com/JAOiRyBOZF
He is a very athletic defender who has great one on one defending ability. Have fun trying to beat him, he is quick enough to recover as well. The blend of athletic ability and instinctual defending makes him an intriguing prospect not just in the Manchester United first team, but also the U.S. National Team.
The growth of soccer in America is starting to show its worth. This year, we have seen an American (Christian Pulisic) make a huge difference for his club Borussia Dortmund, not just domestically, but also in the Champions League.
It is great to see American soccer players go to some of Europe’s biggest clubs and thrive. It just means one thing, U.S. soccer is on the rise.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said he will field a “weaker team” tomorrow versus Arsenal, let’s just hope that means Olosunde will have the chance to show the world what exactly he is about.