Congratulations to Ethan Galbraith who has signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United.
Galbraith is another product of United’s Academy system and made his first-team debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season.
The deal keeps him at Old Trafford until June 2023, as per ManUtd.com, with the option to extend for a further year — granted he doesn’t get a new deal in the meantime.
He became a United player at the age of 16 and has since become a senior Northern Ireland international, making his debut in September last year in a 1-0 win over Luxembourg, so he will be aiming for first team football in the near future. That is likely to come first on loan but these youngsters develop at different rates. Scott McTominay is a perfect example of a late developer because no-one at United expected him to climb into the first team the way he did under José Mourinho.
Galbraith scored from the penalty spot against Everton to secure a Premier League 2 win for Neil Wood’s U23s side.
His next test is to become a more prominent figure on Solskjaer’s radar. The manager is keen to introduce young players when they are ready but there is a lot of competition for places in midfield.
James Garner joined Championship outfit Watford on loan this season and he’s probably ahead of Galbraith in United’s pecking order, but the former can use this year at the club to become a better player with the right coaching.
We wish Galbraith the very best and hope to see more of him in the first team at some point.
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