Manchester United youngster Ethan Wheatley revealed Bruno Fernandes promised to provide him with an assist moments before coming on for his senior debut against Sheffield United.
Wheatley, 18, became the 250th academy graduate to make his senior debut for United after coming off the bench late on Wednesday night with his side beating the Blades 4-2 at Old Trafford.
The forward replaced Rasmus Hojlund at the end of the 90 minutes with nine more added on in injury time.
Wheatley has been in excellent goal scoring form for United’s Under-18s this season, netting a hat-trick in a 9-1 victory over Liverpool earlier this month and scoring twice against Manchester City in the Under-18 Premier League Cup on Tuesday.
The teenager was unable to mark his senior debut with a goal despite the best efforts of United captain Fernandes, who was determined to tee one up for him.
‘He pulled me to the side and said ‘I’ve got nine minutes to try to get you a goal,’ Wheatley told MUTV.
‘So I was just trying to get into positions for him and obviously it didn’t come, but hopefully soon.’
Fernandes was again United’s stand-out player on another difficult evening for the club, scoring from the penalty spot before putting his side ahead with a sublime effort from 25 yards out.
He also played his part in wrapping up the win, sliding the ball across goal for Hojlund to tap home.
While determined to set up another for Wheatley, Fernandes suggested he got ‘too erratic’ as the final minutes ticked by but is confident the youngster’s next big moment will come soon.
‘At the end of the game I got a little bit too erratic,’ Fernandes said.
‘I tried to give him a goal, because he is a young kid coming through the academy, I know the moment is massive for him and getting a goal in his first appearance would be massive.
‘I couldn’t give the assist for him but I tried, at the moment I rushed it a little bit too much.
‘If he gets chances in the future he will get his goals too.’
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