Brandon Williams has talked up the abilities of Manchester United youngster Teden Mengi, believing he can emulate stars like Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford by becoming a first team regular.
Mengi, 18, has been indefinitely promoted into the United senior squad this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a huge admirer. The centre-back captained United's Under-18s to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup and also shone for the Under-23s despite being just 17 at the time.
Williams, whose major breakthrough came last season when handed a chance in the cup competitions, believes the stage is set for Mengi to make a mark at first-team level. He believes the young centre-back is doing all the right things to develop.
"Teden has helped himself as well by talking to everybody, the more you communicate the more you get to know somebody,” Williams told United's official website.
“It’s much easier to go into a group and stay in the shadows and just watch everything, but Teden gets involved and that’s made it easier for him.
“There’s obviously me and Mason and all the other boys who have been here for a very long time and we’re a group and a team. Everyone knows what everyone has been through at this club and what it takes to get into the first team and knows what hard work everyone has put in."
Williams believes it's down to him, Rashford, Greenwood and Jesse Lingard to be the standard-bearers for youngsters coming through, like Mengi.
“I know what Teden has done throughout the years and the likes of Marcus and Jesse as well," he added.
"We’re trying to keep it going and we’re role models for the players who are below us in the younger ages in the Academy and Marcus and Jesse are the younger role models for us who have done it and who we look to.”
