Manchester United continue to make impressive progress under the guidance of manager Erik ten Hag, with the Dutchman having already claimed Carabao Cup glory with further silverware still up for grabs.
With the Red Devils still having plenty left to play for between now and the end of the season, the club are in a far stronger position that at the same stage last term, with interim boss Ralf Rangnick having overseen a dismal end to a rather dire campaign at Old Trafford.
Having crashed out in the early rounds of both domestic cup competitions, a Champions League, last-16 exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid in March 2022 only served to exacerbate the frustration surrounding the club, with the stop-gap appointment of the German visionary having failed to have the desired effect.
With the veteran's brief tenure not looked upon too fondly by supporters, one positive that may well have come during Rangnick's tenure was the signing of teenage midfielder, Toby Collyer, with the former Brighton and Hove Albion starlet one figure who could potentially be a star of the future at the Theatre of Dreams.
Who is Man United's Toby Collyer?
It is now just over a year on since young Collyer was snapped up by the Premier League outfit, although the promising 19-year-old is still waiting for his first taste of life at senior level, despite having been involved in first-team training on occasion.
That inclusion would appear to indicate that the Worthing-born gem is certainly on the radar of Ten Hag as the Dutchman seeks to build for the future, with the midfield department one area, in particular, that is seemingly in need of bolstering.
Manchester Evening News only recently revealed that a 'younger midfielder' could be targetted ahead of the summer window, with United likely to be plotting potential successors to the likes of Fred, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen – all of whom are in their thirties.
In order to help provide a fresh injection of youth in the squad, the former Ajax boss could look to the likes of Collyer as a possible option rather than splashing out millions in the transfer market, with the England youth international a potential hidden gem who is just waiting to be unleashed.
The former Seagulls star has made a quiet start to life in his new surroundings after making just 12 appearances in all competitions in the youth ranks this season, although was previously tipped for big things during his time on the south coast.
The defensive midfield asset was notably hailed by former Brighton U18 coach Mark Beard last year, who said of his talents: "You could see he was going to be a top-class player. He is a pleasure to coach. He is so low maintenance, what I mean by that is you don't know he is there."
"He gets on with his job. He regularly put in displays of 8/10 at the least. He had the best running stats, runs 13 kilometres a game, breaks things up. He is so unassuming, he gets on with his job. You want 11 of these type of players in the team. You know what you're going to get in training, he works hard, he wants to improve, he's intelligent. He's a good all-round kid."
Beard also dished out further praise for the youngster's defensive quality, having stated: "He plays like two men sometimes. As defensive midfielders go, and it is quite a disciplined role, he is probably the best in the country at doing it".
That glowing praise should well catch the attention of those back in Manchester, with Ten Hag potentially missing a trick by not handing Collyer a chance in the first-team, particularly with the midfield department having been stretched due to Eriksen's injury woes and with Casemiro having been inhibited by suspension.
With games set to come thick and fast once again when club action resumes this weekend, the United boss should think about handing an opportunity to the teen ace sooner rather than later.