Ethan Wheatley hopes Euros stage offers ‘perfect way' to impress Ruben Amorim
The 19-year-old was crowned the Red Devils' 2023-24 Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year having capped an exceptional season with the development teams by making his first-team debut last April.
Wheatley found first-team opportunities limited to one substitute Carabao Cup appearance this term and joined Sky Bet League Two promotion hopefuls Walsall in January in search of regular competitive football.
But things went awry at the Bescot as he played just four times and ultimately got permission to feature for United's Under-21s towards the end of a season that could yet end on a high with England Under-19s in Romania.
'My second half of season has been frustrating, not being able to show what I'm about, really,' Wheatley told the PA news agency. 'But I think this tournament is the perfect way to do it.
'I think there'll be a lot of eyes on it and obviously representing your country in a Euros there's not much better than that.
'It'll be good to hopefully impress and, just for myself and for the team, play my part and do well.
'The club have been good with me. They've let me come back and play a few 21s games just to keep my legs going, so it's been good to be back at United, developing and getting game time.'
United staff are understood to have been perplexed by Walsall's approach with Wheatley, who scored a vital goal for his country in a jaw-dropping match at the Under-19s Euros on Tuesday.
England were 5-1 down just minutes into the second half, only for the striker to spark a scarcely believable 5-5 comeback draw as attention turns to Friday's final pool game against Group B winners the Netherlands.
Wheatley's display showed the kind of maturity and confidence he spoke with at the team base in Romania, where he appeared focused and undeterred by his struggles at Walsall.
'Even if my first (loan) didn't go well – and it didn't – I had it in the back of my head, and I was telling staff around the club, it's not going to define me as a player,' United's 250th academy graduate said.
'It's not going to judge where I end up in the future. I think it's just like a little blip in my early career, and hopefully I can just bounce back from it going into next season.'
Erik ten Hag liked Wheatley and included him in last summer's tour squad having played him three times in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen what successor Ruben Amorim has in store for him.
Asked if he know show the future looks, the talented United forward said: 'As of now, no, not really. I'm just more concentrated on this tournament.
'But, yeah, since (Amorim) came in I was away with international camp and obviously went on loan in January, so I've not really been around it too much.
'But I want to be a Man United player in the future, but if that doesn't happen then it obviously wasn't meant to be. We'll just see what happens in the future.'
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