Shea Lacey’s former team-mate explains why Man Utd may have their own Lamine Yamal - with Baller League star James Nolan sharing a pitch with both wonderkids

During a youth fixture at the Camp Nou, Nolan experienced the precocious talents of a 13-year-old Yamal firsthand before the Spaniard's meteoric rise to global stardom. The Baller League star admitted he initially underestimated the teenager, only for Yamal to score two identical long-range goals within minutes of entering the fray.

Reflecting on the special nature of the wide players he has faced, Nolan told Mirror Football: "I came on in the second half and there's a little 13-year-old kid stood on the side. He comes on and I'm thinking, ‘Oh, nice and easy, this.’ It ended up being Lamine Yamal.

"So he comes on and gets the ball passed to him. I'm tight to him and then takes a touch inside, probably 25 yards out and just whips it top corner. Yeah. I'm thinking, 'Alright.' Then two minutes later, I try to nail him and he skips past me and does exactly the same."

Nolan, who previously captained United’s Under-18s, lived with Lacey during their shared time in the academy and remains convinced of the winger's trajectory despite a mixed start to his senior career. While Lacey suffered a red card on his senior FA Cup debut against Brighton in January, Nolan insists his technical level is already apparent to those within the club. The defender believes that Lacey’s ability to influence games in short cameos mirrors the elite potential seen in players like Yamal.

He added: "Shea is that guy. He's just got it. He's playing 10, 15 minutes, but you can see the level he's at. I've played [against] Ethan Nwaneri at Arsenal. You've got Myles Lewis-Skelly. Nico O'Reilly, Rico Lewis. And obviously played with Kobbie [Mainoo], played with [Alejandro] Garnacho, played with Shea Lacey.

"There's been that many where I've stepped off the football pitch and thought, ‘You know what? Fair play.’ You know when you're coming up against someone when with the first touch they just go and do that like with Yamal. It's just special. I've been lucky to play against these players and it's one of those things where I'll always remember it and it's been a brilliant time doing it."

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