Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has praised Chido Obi following his appearance against Fulham on Sunday in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The youngster appeared on the pitch in the 68th minute and replaced Rasmus Hojlund, just moments before Bruno Fernandes equalised with a spectacular left-foot strike.
The comments came during the fifth round of the FA Cup clash, which finished with a shock United’s elimination from the tournament following a 3-4 defeat in the penalty shootout.
The 17-year-old was recently promoted to the senior squad amid Ruben Amorim’s side’s struggles in front of the opposition goal.
Both Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were criticised throughout the entire season for the lack of goals at Old Trafford.
‘What I really like about him is that he’s put himself in some really good positions,’ said Rooney during the BBC Match of the Day on Sunday.
Wayne Rooney has praised Chido Obi after the youngster made his appearance against Fulham on SundayThe former United star has highlighted that the 17-year-old player might be a significant factor in Ruben Amorim’s toolkit for the rest of the seasonObi appeared on the pitch in the 68th minute after he replaced Rasmus Hojlund – just moments before Bruno Fernandes equalised against Fulham
‘Little bit naive with some of his chances but I think it’s really encouraging for Manchester United. They’ve obviously got Zirkzee and Hojlund not scoring.
‘Now, that might be another option moving forward in the season. I’ve been really impressed with him.’
The Danish international is in his second year at Old Trafford and has scored only two goals in 22 Premier League appearances.
Meanwhile, Zirkzee was brought as a solution for Erik ten Hag’s band’s struggles in the opposition box but also failed to deliver a strong performance.
The Dutch striker was often moved towards United’s flanks by his new manager, Ruben Amorim.
Earlier, Obi was handed his debut in the Red Devils’ 1-0 by Tottenham and also featured in the 2-2 away draw against Everton.
‘He doesn’t commit too early, he doesn’t go down too soon, he doesn’t stand up so he can just manage to get under it, it’s a brilliant save,’ added Micah Richards.
‘I’ve been really impressed by Obi since he’s come on.’
The wonderkid joined Man United Academy in October 2024 in a surprise departure from Arsenal.
Obi made a strong impression since his arrival in the Red Devils’ system, scoring seven goals in three matches in the Youth Cup.