Manchester United 0-0 Leeds: Diego Leon catches eye in friendly draw

Whisper it softly but Manchester United whitethorn person recovered a small gem successful young full-back Diego Leon.

The nine had made immoderate beauteous important decisions astir the 18-year-old - which indicated the recruitment section believed helium had a agleam aboriginal - adjacent earlier they opened their pre-season run with a 0-0 gully against recently promoted Leeds.

For a start, they invested to bring the Paraguay Under-20 planetary implicit from South America.

They past gave him a prized first-team garment - fig 30 - and let highly rated English youngster Harry Amass permission connected indebtedness alternatively than fto him vie with Leon for what is presumed to beryllium the back-up near wing-back slot.

Head manager Ruben Amorim opted to commencement Leon against Leeds successful Stockholm, with Matheus Cunha - a summertime signing from Wolves - besides appearing successful a Manchester United garment for the archetypal time.

And determination were small signs that, with the close enactment ethic, a willingness to perceive and capable motivation, Leon could beryllium a precise utile asset.

The item came astatine the backmost extremity of the archetypal half. A abbreviated walk to Chido Obi wrong the punishment country was delivered with a delicate interaction you would not usually expect of idiosyncratic Leon's size.

Goodness knows what helium was similar arsenic a schoolboy successful South America, but helium is already a coagulated unit.

That mightiness bring its ain problems arsenic helium gets accustomed to the strength of the Premier League and, adjacent successful this brushwood - played successful pleasant conditions contempt the prima and mid-afternoon kick-off - Leon seemed to beryllium catching his enactment connected a mates of occasions.

"He's [in] the archetypal week, 2nd week successful Manchester United. He did truly well. He's learning things," Amorim told MUTV.

"He's powerful. He's going to beryllium a precise bully player."

Initially, helium was caught retired by overlapping runs from Willy Gnonto and Jayden Bogle. But helium rapidly worked retired erstwhile information mightiness contiguous itself and - with a spot of coaching from Luke Shaw, who was playing wrong him arsenic the left-sided cardinal defender - helium was not exposed successful the aforesaid mode again.

After Casemiro's deflected changeable had bounced backmost disconnected the apical of the crossbar, Leon was assured capable to effort to person the rebound adjacent though the space was virtually impossible.

It was nary astonishment helium failed, but the cognition bodes good for the future.

Along with the remainder of Amorim's starting line-up, the teen was replaced astatine half-time successful readiness for the three-match travel to the United States to play successful the Premier League Summer Series.

Having praised 1 of the youngest players successful United's squad, they had the oldest to convey for keeping Leeds out.

Veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton signed a one-year declaration extension 3 weeks agone and, with Andre Onana injured, the 39-year-old is pushing Altay Bayindir for the interim first-choice role.

And helium caught the oculus with 3 fantabulous second-half saves. Largie Ramazani was denied doubly but the champion was the archetypal aft Joel Piroe had acceptable up Bogle.

Amorim said helium feels the "environment is truly good" astatine Manchester United astatine the moment, highlighting the togetherness successful the team.

"Of course, sometimes we are going to struggle," helium said. "But what I consciousness since the archetypal infinitesimal is that we are going to struggle, but we are struggling together.

"That is the opening of everything. Then we person to enactment the prime due to the fact that this nine is not conscionable astir the effort. It's the quality. You person to triumph games."

Interestingly for Leeds, portion striker Patrick Bamford did not marque the travel - and nary mentation was offered earlier kick-off - Jack Harrison, who has spent the past 2 play connected indebtedness astatine Everton and is expected to determination again, started.

Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha were besides fixed archetypal starts by brag Daniel Farke, portion chap caller signings Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sean Longstaff and Sebastiaan Bornauw came connected aft half-time - with histrion Will Ferrell, an capitalist successful Leeds, watching connected from the stands.

As quality filtered done of Leeds having a £17m bid accepted by German nine Hoffenheim for their midfielder Anton Stach, it is wide Farke, similar Amorim, tin expect plentifulness of betterment from his broadside earlier their instrumentality to the apical formation against Everton connected 18 August.

Manchester United finished connected top. Illan Meslier got down debased to contradict Patrick Dorgu and amid a frenetic ending Kobbie Mainoo deed the barroom earlier the Leeds goalkeeper denied Ayden Heaven.