Among the plethora of positives that have come out of the season so far for Manchester United under manager Erik ten Hag, one of the more notable success stories has been the emergence of teenage sensation, Alejandro Garnacho, with the 18-year-old having established himself as a vital member of the squad since the World Cup, in particular.The promising “game changer” – as hailed by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – has registered nine goal involvements in all competitions in what has been a breakout campaign thus far, memorably scoring away at Elland Road and providing an assist for Marcus Rashford in the Manchester derby in what were two of his more notable contributions.The rapid and meteoric rise of the Madrid-born speedster – who had been included in Argentina’s senior squad prior to his recent injury blow – is yet another marker of the benefits of having such a star-studded youth set-up, with United undoubtedly masters at continually churning out potential gems of the future.For all the warranted hype surrounding Garnacho, however, the beauty of football is that there is always another youngster who can emerge as the next poster boy, with 15-year-old Shea Lacey seemingly the player who is sparking “lots of excitement” among those at the club, according to journalist Tom Maston.

Who is Shea Lacey?

Although both club and supporters will no doubt be wary of talking up the teen ace too greatly – with the case of Ravel Morrison still firmly in the minds of those at the Theatre of Dreams – it is hard to ignore the buzz that is surrounding the fleet-footed maestro.

While the precocious talent – who has been likened to Manchester City sensation, Phil Foden – may have to bide his time for a first-team berth due to his tender age, it does appear that United are keen to elevate him up the age groups, with the playmaker having already featured for the club’s U18 side this season, scoring once and registering two assists in just six league outings.

That is an indication of just how highly rated Lacey is by the Premier League giants, with that excitement beginning to bubble among those outside of the club, with the forward having set tongues wagging after producing a scintillating, solo goal for the U16’s earlier this month.

The manner in which the Liverpool-born menace weaved his way through a sea of bodies with breathtaking skill and trickery ensured that it is easy to see why the comparisons to Foden have come about, with Lacey truly having a “left foot made of gold” – according to talent scout, Jacek Kulig.

Football Transfers reporter Jacque Talbot even when as far as to suggest that the Old Trafford outfit may have stumbled across the “next [Lionel} Messi” in the form of the teen starlet, with the club’s current first team figures likely to be running scared at the prospect of losing their place in the side in the coming years.

Summer signing Antony, in particular, could well be fearing for his starting berth more than most, with Lacey potentially set to prove a direct rival to the Brazilian’s position on the right flank, with the duo both able to wreak havoc by cutting in onto their stronger left foot.

In the case of the former Ajax man, the 23-year-old has endured a mixed start to life in England, in truth, since his £86m arrival, having registered just eight goal involvements in all competitions thus far, including only three goals and no assists in the league.

It is no stretch to stay that Antony has not received a wholly warm welcome to the Premier League, with club legend Paul Scholes branding him a “clown” after the 15-cap enigma produced his trademark spin in the Europa League win over FC Sheriff, while talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor also labelled him a “bluffer”.

Although it is that individualistic nature that has seemingly led the one-time Sao Paolo man to become a favourite of Ten Hag, the £200k-per-week wizard will need to begin proving himself more reliable in the final third or find himself ousted from the side.

If the 5 foot 9 ace is not careful, he could well be displaced by young Lacey not too far down the line…