Solskjaer claim, controversial trial - former Man United wonderkid Shola Shoretire set for Old Trafford return

Manchester United players are due to take on a familiar face when they host Greek champions PAOK in Europa League action on Thursday night - Shola Shoretire.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has the task of overseeing the club's progress into the international break when Ruben Amorim takes control, which hopefully will see a first European win of the campaign. Predecessor Erik ten Hag was only able to muster three successive draws before his sacking, so there is some ground to make up in this competition.

With this next challenge, comes another interesting plotline with the return of Shoretire to his former club. Not every talented youngster that works their way through the ranks in the Man United academy goes on to achieve Old Trafford stardom, though the 20-year-old sits in an elite bracket of stars within that wider category.

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Shoretire is actually a record-breaker for the Reds and remains the youngest-ever player to turn out for Man United in European competition. He broke that record - previously held by Norman Whiteside - at 17 years and 23 days old in the 2021 0-0 home Europa League draw with Real Sociedad.

That seemed to be a record in the making, as days prior, the attacking midfielder had signed his first professional deal with the club and made a first substitute appearance under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer in a 3-1 Premier League win over boyhood club Newcastle United.

"Shola has been training with us for a while, done really well and it was next step for him. A few players went out on loan which made the path for him shorter," the manager at the time said.

"He is a boy we believe in. We wanted to give him a little taste of it (playing in the Premier League). "Of course the game was not done, still another six or seven minutes but he is a boy we believe in."

Shoretire's arrival at Man United had been preceded by a strange turn of events. He had actually been a part of cross-city rivals Manchester City's youth set-up from a young age, though a supposed secret trial with Barcelona led them to axe him.

He could have been competing with the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden and Ilkay Gundogan for a place in Pep Guardiola's midfield rather than battling through the ranks on the opposite side of the city.

And as alluded to, unfortunately that breakout 2020/21 campaign - during which he took the club's in-house young player of the season award - did not develop into a glittering Old Trafford career. He instead went on to accumulate five senior appearances, saw out the final half of last season loaned out to Bolton Wanderers, then once his contract expired in the summer signed for free to PAOK.

He has already made eight appearances for his new club, scoring one goal, but a swift return to old surroundings was certainly not one he was expecting so quickly, though it is one that he is relishing.

"It’s an amazing feeling to be back. When we found out we were playing against them, it was a big surprise, but very nice to be back," he tells The Independent.

"Of course it was difficult to leave, but I felt it was the right moment for my career. PAOK seemed like a very good club to go to, and I’m very happy with how it’s gone so far.

"We’re here to win tomorrow. That’s why we’re here, and we believe we can do this."