Jacey Carrick, 16, makes Manchester United senior debut in closed-doors friendly

Jacey Carrick, the 16-year-old son of Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, made his senior debut for the club in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne at Carrington on Friday.

The midfielder was called up to make up the numbers after many of United’s first-team squad departed on international duty. He featured alongside senior players including Harry Maguire and Matheus Cunha, making it a landmark moment for a teenager who has been in the United academy since the age of six.

Also getting minutes was summer signing Carlos Baleba, who joined from Brighton for £70 million but has yet to appear in a competitive match due to an ankle injury sustained during pre-season. The Lausanne fixture was arranged partly because the Swiss club share the same INEOS ownership as United, and partly to keep Carrick’s squad sharp during a lengthy gap in the Premier League calendar — United have not played since a 1-1 draw at Fulham on September 20 and do not face Tottenham until October 10.

Jacey has made five appearances for United’s under-18s this season, following the first-year scholarship deal he signed in July. He has come through the academy alongside Kai Rooney, the eldest son of United legend Wayne Rooney, who was himself a teammate of Michael Carrick during their playing days at Old Trafford.

Jacey is also close friends with Jack and Tyler Fletcher, the sons of former United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who now serves as the club’s under-18s head coach. The Fletcher twins were among those who commented on Jacey’s Instagram post when he signed his scholarship deal in the summer. “Nearly 10 years at this club, grateful to sign my scholarship,” Jacey wrote at the time.

Michael Carrick has previously described his son as “United obsessed”, and Jacey has been a visible presence at Old Trafford, appearing on the pitch alongside his sister Louise during end-of-season laps of appreciation in previous years.

Carrick himself is navigating a difficult start to his tenure as United manager, having been appointed in the summer after making an impression as interim boss following the sacking of Ruben Amorim. United have won just one of their opening five Premier League matches and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton. Carrick has sought to play down concerns about his position, saying recently: “It’s two or three games that we haven’t had certain results — that’s just not on the radar.”