Ethan Wheatley is determined to show his skills and put an unsuccessful loan spell at Manchester United behind him as he helps England keep their European Under-19 title hopes alive.
The 19-year-old was named the Red Devils' Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year for 2023-24 after capping a remarkable campaign in the youth teams with a first-team debut in April last year.
Whitley has been limited to one substitute appearance in the League Cup this season and joined Sky Bet League 2 contenders Walsall in January in search of regular game time.
However, things didn't go as planned at Besco, with him making just four appearances and ultimately being cleared to play for United's Under-21 side towards the end of the season, which could yet end on a high against England Under-19s in Romania.
“The second half of the season was disappointing for me, I wasn't able to show my ability, really,” Whitley told the PA news agency. “But I think this tournament is the perfect way to do that.
“I think there will be a lot of attention on this and, of course, representing your country at the European Championships is something special.
“It will be great, hopefully to make an impression for myself and for the team to play my part and be successful.
“The club have been really good to me. They let me come back and play a few games in the 21st tier just to keep fit, so it was nice to be back at United and developing and getting game time.”
United staff were reportedly baffled by Walsall's approach to Wheatley, who scored the decisive goal for his country in a thrilling European Under-19 Championship match on Tuesday.
England were 5-1 down just minutes into the second half, but the striker managed to force an unlikely 5-5 draw as attention turns to the final Group B game against Group B winners the Netherlands.
Whitley's performance demonstrated the maturity and confidence he brought to the team's base in Romania, where he looked focused and unperturbed despite his struggles at Walsall.
“Even if my first (loan) hadn't gone well – and it had – I kept that in mind and told everyone at the club that it wouldn't define me as a player,” said United's 250th academy graduate.
“It won't determine where I go in the future. I think it's just a little hiccup at the beginning of my career and hopefully I can recover from it next season.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
