Young Manchester United forward Shea Lacey has been recognised by fans for his excellent outing against Rosenborg on Friday. The Red Devils locked horns with the Norwegian club in their second pre-season tie at the Lerkendal Stadion in Trondheim, Norway.
The Premier League giants made two changes to the starting XI that lost 1-0 to Wrexham in the previous game. Radek Vitek took the place of Tom Heaton in goal, while Lacey was preferred to Jack Fletcher.
The decision from Carrick was vindicated, with both players managing to impress. United ran riot in Trondheim, securing a 5-0 win thanks to goals from Lacey, Joshua Zirkzee, Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass, and Ethan Williams.
Lacey was impressive off the bench against Wrexham and maintained those standards against Rosenborg from the start.
United will have big expectations from Lacey this season
Lacey caught the eye with some brief cameos for the senior side last season, including hitting the crossbar against Burnley with a superb curled attempt. Unfortunately, he picked up a red card against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup defeat, which left a bad taste.
While he struggled for chances later in the season, the Englishman’s stock remains high. Lacey finished the campaign with 12 goals and five assists in 23 appearances across all competitions.
Shea Lacey Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League 2 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 | - | 566' |
| Premier League 2 Playoffs | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 347' |
| EFL Trophy | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 260' |
| Premier League | 3 | - | - | - | - | 40' |
| Premier League International Cup U21 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 119' |
| FA Cup | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 27' |
| National League Cup | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 23 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1,359' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
On Friday, Lacey gave fans another reminder of his potential. He started in the No. 10 role before drifting to the wings, where his trickery and pace stretched the opposition.
It was the 19 year old who broke the deadlock after being found with a superb ball into the box by Zirkzee. Lacey took a touch to create space and unleashed a curler that nestled into the net at the far post. His performance has now earned him a major accolade.
Lacey adjudged Man of the Match by fans
According to a poll conducted by United on WhatsApp, Shea Lacey was voted Man of the Match by fans in the win over Rosenborg. The report states: “We let our WhatsApp community decide the winner between six frontrunners, and there was a clear poll-topper in the hours after the game, with opening goalscorer Lacey emerging in first place.”
The young Englishman edged past Zirkzee for the top prize, with the Dutch forward also scoring a spectacular solo effort and impressing with his all-round play. The report continued: “Only Lacey had more votes from fans voting on Friday evening than Zirkzee, with the Dutchman adding United’s second via a stunning solo effort.”
New signing Andrey Santos finished third, with Amass behind him, while Devaney and Williams also received votes from fans. While he could not make it into the leaderboard, Mason Mount also caught the eye from a deeper role.
Final Thoughts
With United expected to fight on four fronts next season, Lacey could prove to be an excellent backup for Bryan Mbeumo on the right wing. The teenager’s emergence continues the Red Devils’ proud tradition of promoting youth, and fans will have big expectations from him.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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