Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterManchester United producing talented midfielders is something most of us have known for decades.Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Nicky Butt are just three names who spring to mind, but there is a new kid on the block who is beginning to catch the attention of those attending some of United's academy games this season.Arise, Jim Thwaites, a diminutive number six who can operate in tight spaces and has the deadball specialities much like Becks did across his career. Want to know more about him? Read on as FourFourTwo delves deeper in our latest scout report... You may like Who exactly is Jacob Devaney? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report Who exactly is Ife Ibrahim? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report Who exactly is Mikel Jauregizar? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report So who exactly is Jim Thwaites?PROFILEName: Jim ThwaitesPosition/s: Defensive midfield, central midfieldAge: 18 (Born: 20 December 2007)Nationality: EnglishHeight: 1.75m (5ft 7in)Preferred Foot: RightCurrent Club: Manchester UnitedHaving progressed through the ranks at Carrington, Ruben Amorim acted with haste to call up young Thwaites to first-team training within weeks of being in the building back in November 2024, proving that it is only fans who are taking note of a wonderfully gifted footballer, with Erik ten Hag also a big fan of the youngster. Having been troubled with injury so far this season, it would be a crying shame if the Red Devils' academy side does not go on to claim FA Youth Cup glory, with the 18-year-old expected to play a huge part in those aims.Yet to make his senior bow, Thwaites is having to wait patiently for his chance, but continues to impress onlookers who are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of his footballing credentials. A wonderful number six, the teenager is press-resistant and has deadball capabilities beyond his years, having whizzed a catalogue of free-kicks into the top corners for Manchester United youth teams over the last few seasons.Thwaites's strengthsPress resistance: Given his small frame, Thwaites is more than happy to receive the ball under pressure and jink one way and dart into a space of green grass. Almost eerily similar to how Pedri does so, the 18-year-old has already mastered the art of beginning the move and transitioning the ball through the offensive lines.Line-breaking verticality: Academy football often can be scrappy, but Thwaites is always looking to belt a long pass into a wide man to help get the game moving forward for the Red Devils. Having the likes of Goodwill Kukonki, Noah Ajayi and often Shea Lacey to aim for is handy, but Jim does so with ease and it is a staple of his midfield game he has already seemingly mastered.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Dead-ball specialist: Against Manchester City in the U18 Premier League recently, Thwaites had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes before he found the top corner with precision for a free-kick. Almost like Beckham was in his youth, Thwaites is able to generate a ridiculous amount of power and precision from tight angles, and Darren Fletcher's side have benefitted no end from his special abilities this term.Tenacity and turn of pace: Again, we expect Thwaites to still have another growth spurt and this will be crucial if he is to make it at the very top level. What cannot be understated already is his tenacity in midfield when nipping in to win the ball back as soon as half an opportunity arises. A serial 'pocket-picker' if you will, the teenager then also possesses the right amount of acceleration to get away from his man in tight spaces and get the game moving in his favour.Jim Thwaites - The Future of Manchester United- 2025 - YouTubeWatch On Thwaites's areas of developmentSenior experience: Manchester United produce players consistently, and as Kobbie Mainoo did, when you get your chance, you have to take it. Tyler Fletcher, Jack Fletcher, Jack Moorhouse and Toby Collyer are all names currently ahead of him, and Thwaites will have to do well in order to make an impression if he is to be given an opportunity.Bulking up in size: Thwaites needs to bulk up in terms of stature, and I would say this is his biggest task in order to make it at the very top of the professional game. Now aged 18, Mainoo is the perfect example of how to do so, given the physicality of Premier League football.Aerial ability: Standing at only 5ft 7, Thwaites could be hindered if he is to come up against a big, powerhouse central midfielder who can bully his way past him in the middle of the pitch. Time will tell whether he does have another growth spurt, but again, you feel it may need to come sooner rather than later.Thwaites's ceilingMORE REPORTSMIDFIELDERS Abdoulaye Camara, Ezechiel Banzuzi, Rodri MendozaThwaites has to make an impression over the summer, you feel, and not get stuck into poor loan moves like Ethan Wheatley, Ethan Williams and even James Scanlon have seemingly done over recent periods. He has all the qualities to make it, but the ceiling is so high at Manchester United that he will have to excel when he gets his chance to even be considered in the conversation moving forward.TOPICSManchester UnitedMatthew HoltSocial Links NavigationMatthew Holt writes freelance for FourFourTwo, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up.
