Erik ten Hag is impressed with what he’s seen of Hannibal Mejbri this season – as are the Old Trafford faithful.
Hannibal netted his debut Manchester United goal against Brighton and Hove Albion earlier in September, and proceeded to be awarded his first-ever Premier League start the following week against Burnley.
At Turf Moor, the Tunisian broke two league records for the 2023/2024 campaign after completing the most pressures per 90 minutes and most sprinting pressure per 90 minutes.
Hannibal also covered more of the pitch than any other United player (12.9km), as well as ran further than any of his teammates, further than any player since Erik ten Hag was appointed manager, and since such records began being collected in 2019, as per Sky Sports.
Essentially, he worked his socks off, and fans aren’t that used to seeing the players do that in recent years.
He then started yet again for United’s midweek Carabao Cup clash vs Crystal Palace and put in another superb shift to help the side see out a 3-0 victory and book their place in the fourth round of the competition.
The 20-year-old has been thoroughly deserving of his chances and has grasped them with both hands, and it’s refreshing to see a Carrington graduate excelling in the senior squad.
Ten Hag lauds Hannibal
When asked about Hannibal’s recent displays and progress, Ten Hag said (via ManUtd.com): “I think he gives a very good message to the rest of the squad, that this is the demand and this has to be the standard.
“When you are playing that position, [this is] what you have to bring to the team to get success. Especially when you are playing against possession teams, he is a really good fit and can give a good contribution to a good performance and to a result.”
There has to be a grafter crack on Hannibal
This is the type of youngster we need to bring in to the 1st team, with more brought in , another real CB, striker we could put in a serious chalkenge & maybe finish runnerup with a Cup