Scout Report:Â RoShaun Williams
Country: England
Date of Birth: Sept 3, 1998 (17 Yrs)
Current Club: Manchester United (U-21)
Position: Central Defender
Manchester United have a history of producing talented players from their academy, but even they have been surprised to see RoShaun Williams and the rapid development in last 18 months.
Just at the age of 17, Williams has broken through United’s U-18s and now is a prominent figure in Warren Joyce’s U-21 side. The talented defender joined Man United at the age of 9 and has been touted as English football’s next big thing.
One of his former coaches once said: “Who needs Pogba when you’ve got RoShaun? So now you know the levels at which he is being compared, and perhaps that is why it was a surprise to many when Louis Van Gaal took so long in bringing him to the senior set up.
RoShaun Williams was named in Manchester United’s traveling party to take on West Ham in the FA Cup 2015/16 Quarter Final tie, which could turn out to be the biggest break of his Old Trafford career.
RoShaun Williams – A brief history
Nicknamed as “Little Usain” Williams first made the headlines by beating Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbellâs schoolâs 100m record in 2014, sprinting 100m in 10.99 seconds. Surprisingly, he had never run a competitive race before, and has not run since then.
After breaking the record, Williams had to be told by the teachers of his achievement. Sharing the moment, Williams spoke with M.E.N and said: “I didnât know I had beaten the record until the next day at school when my teacher told me. It was just a school sports day so we all had to run.â
Williams idolized Ryan Giggs in his younger days and has an aim of playing for Manchester United and England in coming years. Williams thanks his mom Nylva Green for pushing him to join Manchester United.
Williams is part of the same core of James Weir, Regan Poole, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Donald Love, Joe Riley, and Marcus Rashford, all of whom have played for Manchester United this season. Thus, it won’t be a surprise to see RoShaun going on to do the same before the season ends.
RoShaun Williams – Style of Play and Strengths
He may be likened to Paul Pogba, but is more comfortable playing in central defense. His raw pace and ability to read games makes him one of the hardest defenders to play against at his level.
Standing at 6 feet, he is impeccable in aerial duels and a threat in both the boxes for Manchester United’s U-21 side. His tackles are clean at all times, and hardly fouls players to gain an advantage for his team.
He is one of the rare breed of English defenders, who like to come out with the ball and looks comfortable. His acceleration helps him to break out and make darting runs in opposition’s halves.
Perhaps the most fascinating part about Williams and his rise to Manchester United academy is his ability to command respect from his peers and his coaches.
Warren Joyce rates this kid very highly and allows him to be part of team meetings and breaking down opposition’s tactics.
RoShaun Williams – Weaknesses to be worked upon
At present, he has shown very little signs of faulty play, and the fact that he is mature at the age of 17 makes it even harder to pin point at any shortcomings he might have. As he will grow in his career, we would come to know about the areas he needs improving.
At present, he looks like a real prospect, which Manchester United need to nurture with care and make sure, it does not slip away from them like Paul Pogba.
RoShaun Williams – What does the future hold?
The kind of start he has had, RoShaun Williams looks as the next big thing to have come from Manchester United’s academy of great players. Coaches who are working with Williams, see a future Manchester United captain in him.
At present, Manchester United have found a gem from their academy, and in next 2-3 seasons, RoShaun Williams could become a regular feature in the heart of United’s defense. However, given the number of defensive injuries, United have, we may see this promising youngster dawn the United jersey sooner than expected.
Image Credit: Getty, Video Credit: Youtube, FullTimeDevils
