Gabriele Biancheri, 16, scores on his debut for Man United Under 18s
Welsh wonderkid Gabriele Biancheri, 16, scores on his debut for Man United Under 18s after joining from Cardiff as a scholar ahead of signing his first professional contract in September
- Gabriele Biancheri’s opening goal for Man United U-18s came in a dramatic clash
- The teenager had drawn plenty of attention from various Premier League sides
- Biancheri signs for United from Cardiff City after FIFA clear the transfer deal
Gabriele Biancheri netted on his debut for Manchester United Under 18s in a 3-3 draw on the road to rival Leeds in a game filled with late drama.
The Welsh teenager opened his account for United with a fine finish from inside the box for his new side, who were 2-1 up inside the final five minutes of the game.
The 16-year-old picked up the ball on the right-hand side as the visitors looked to counter, before carrying it to the edge of the box and letting fly.
His first attempt was poor, though, but after it was blocked Biancheri took the ball to the byline before cutting inside and firing in through the Leeds goalkeeper’s legs to give his side the lead late in the game.
But it was not enough to secure the win for United, with Leeds twice coming back in the dying seconds to level it up in the Roses Derby.
Gabriele Biancheri’s first goal for Manchester United came from close range in the 84th minute
Ben Andreucci was the hero for the home side, after rescuing a draw with strikes in the 88th and 95th minutes of the game against Leeds’ arch-rivals.
United had themselves already come from behind to lead the tie, after Habeeb Ogunneye got the hosts ahead after just nine minutes.
James Nolan and Ethan Williams ensured that United drew towards the end of the game in the lead following goals in the 26th and 59th minutes before Biancheri’s strike.
Manchester United confirmed the signing of the highly-rated Welsh teenager in late February, initially on scholar terms before he will sign as a professional in September.
The 16-year-old joined the club from Cardiff City having completed his medical last month.
Clearance for the transfer from FIFA and paperwork needing to be signed to complete the move had somewhat delayed the transfer.
The youngster was one of the most highly rated teenagers in the Cardiff City academy
Despite having never made a senior team appearance, Biancheri was chased by a number of Premier League clubs, though opted to join United.
Born in 2006, Biancheri is a forward who most often likes to be deployed centrally. He is eligible to play for Wales, England or Italy.
Having played for Cardiff’s under-18s in the FA Youth Cup this term and trained with their Under 21s, Biancheri is one of the promising young players to have emerged in the UK in the last year or so.
It will be hoped that his development can be further harnessed by the Premier League giants, who possess a consistent track record of turning academy prospects into first team stars.
It is the latest United involvement with the Cardiff academy, with David Hughes, the Championship club’s former academy chief, joining the Premier League giants as their Professional Development Phase coach last summer.
It has been announced that Gabriele Biancheri has joined Manchester United – initially as a scholar
Writing on social media upon the completion of the deal, Biancheri thanked his coaches for the work they have done with him over more than nine years with Cardiff.
‘After more than 9 years, my time with Cardiff has come to an end,’ he wrote.
‘I’d like to thank all of my coaches for helping me become the player and person I am today and to all my teammates. I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunity I’ve had at this club.’
He added, alongside a picture of himself in a United shirt: ‘I’m a Red.’
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