Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has praised Red Devils youngsters Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal for their preseason performances.
New United boss Erik ten Hag has provided the pair with opportunities to shine as United ramp up their preparations for the 2022/23 season.
Both players played as substitutes in the friendly wins over Liverpool in Thailand and Melbourne Victory in Australia.
Savage and Iqbal, both products of United’s Academy, made their senior classification debut Champions League clash against Young Boys last season.
Ferdinand has been impressed by the 19-year-old midfielders’ displays and believes they have provided ‘good food for thought’.
“I’ve seen the last two pre-season friendlies and the young lads in midfield there – Charlie Savage was excellent, Zidane was also very good” FIVE YouTube Channel.
“So I think it’s good to think about it.
“It’s always like this in pre-season, you get some players that come out of nowhere and you go. I didn’t expect that from them.
“I remember Jesse Lingard all those years ago when David Moyes came and I remember Moyes saying ‘Rio, I didn’t know Jesse Lingard was that good’.
‘[Wilfried] Zaha was brilliant in the preseason, it didn’t quite work out for him in the long run, but you can get your chance in the preseason and fly. I’m excited about some young players getting opportunities in preparation, which is good.’
United still have several pre-season games to go before the new season kicks off in early August.
Next up is a meeting with Crystal Palace, before clashes with Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.
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