FORGOTTEN youngster Habeeb Ogunneye was called up to Michael Carrick’s first team training ahead of the Manchester derby.
The Red Devils have brought the 20-year-old defender back from League Two’s Newport County as part of a widespread loan recall.
Ogunneye featured prominently under former Newport manager Dave Hughes before his dismissal.
Hughes knew Ogunneye well from working together while he was part of the coaching set-up in United’s academy.
But Hughes’ successor Christian Fuchs, failed to find a place in his plans for Ogunneye and the right-back’s role in the team diminished significantly.
SunSport understands that United plan to find Ogunneye a new loan move before the January transfer window ends.
He joins Ethan Wheatley, Toby Collyer, Sonny Aljofree and Louis Jackson, who have been recalled from Northampton Town, West Brom, Notts County and Solihull Moors respectively.
PHIL YER BOOTS
Plenty of United fans did a double-take when they received an email from the club this week.
It offered them the chance to “spend an evening with United legends”.
The listed legends are Alex Stepney, Denis Irwin, Andy Cole and…… Phil Jones.
Jones almost certainly would not refer to himself as a United legend but someone ill-informed in the club’s corporate department thought he was worthy of the title.
During his 12 years at United, Jones averaged 19 appearances per season as United won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League.
Yet his contributions were limited. When United won the title in 2012-13, Jones made 13 starts and four came after they clinched their 20th championship.
He did not get a kick in the 2016 FA Cup run, missed the 2017 League Cup final through injury and appeared in three of United’s 13 Europa League ties, with the latest coming in the round-of-16.
Stepney had a 12-year career at United as they won the league, the European Cup and the FA Cup though he had long outstayed his welcome by the time he left in 1978.
Irwin remains one of the club’s greatest full backs who was in two of Sir Alex Ferguson’s three great sides and is a genuine unsung hero.
Slick goalscorer Cole was a member of the second double-winning side in 1996 and, of course, the 1999 treble winners.
Cole crammed nine trophies into his seven years at Old Trafford. Irwin collected a remarkable 14 winner’s medals in 12 years and was robbed of a third FA Cup by his infamous red card at Liverpool in May 1999.
SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN
FED EX
Former United head of academy recruitment Luke Fedorenko has rocked up at the Unique Sports Group agency.
Fedorenko confirmed the news in midweek but it has been known for at least three months he was planning to join the agency that represents Marc Guehi and Anthony Gordon.
United youngsters Jay McEvoy, Gabriele Biancheri and Reece Munro are all represented by USG.
CARR SERVICE
United had originally planned to announce the return of Michael Carrick at 2pm on Tuesday. Then they targeted 6pm before pushing it back to 7pm.
Eventually, the new head coach was unveiled at 7.15pm on Tuesday night, having spent the best part of 48 hours finalising his move.
A source said Monday was a particularly “crazy” day going through the legalities of Carrick’s contract. United were keen to extract some “content”, so Carrick sat down for a podcast on Tuesday afternoon.
The deal was always heading in the right direction and an agreement was effectively struck on Monday evening.
BEEF CHERKI
City playmaker Rayan Cherki may suffer PTSD when he plays at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Cherki, of course, was in the Lyon side that let a 4-2 lead slip with six minutes of extra time remaining to lose 5-4 to United in the Europa League quarter-final in April.
After Cherki signed for City, he told British journalists at the Club World Cup in the United States that he wanted to “kill” United.
The France international was ruled out of the September derby, so he will finally get his chance this weekend.
SOL DESTROYING
After we revealed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in Madrid to watch City last month, it turns out there was another United coaching connection present in the Bernabeu.
Jonathan Woodgate was in the gantry as a BBC Five Live summariser.
Unlike Solskjaer, he has been coaching United this week alongside Carrick, whom he flanked at Middlesbrough for the best part of three years.
FRED UP?
United youngster Tyler Fredricson has switched agencies halfway through the winter transfer window.
Fredricson, who started in the infamous League Cup elimination by Grimsby Town in August, has joined Murdock Sports Group from the Stellar agency.
The 21-year-old’s sudden switch is likely to result in a transfer, either this month or the summer.
Fredricson joins a group vastly experienced in representing United youngsters. Founder Colin Murdock came through the United academy in the 90s.
Scott McTominay and Jonny Evans are clients of Murdock, whose son Will, is a goalkeeper in the United academy.
Will and United Under-21 captain Jacob Devaney are in the Murdock stable.
PEP’S PRE-MATCH MEAL
City had a team-bonding meal on Thursday night at Kaji restaurant in Manchester city centre.
Pep Guardiola was also present before walking up Deansgate to make his way home.
While City dined at the swanky sushi restaurant, new United coach Steve Holland settled for a swifter meal.
He was spotted in Burger King.
