Chris Wilder was full of praise for Manchester City loanee James McAtee after his winner for Sheffield United in their 1-0 victory against Brentford.
McAtee scored his first-ever goal in the Premier League in style, cutting inside on his left foot before slotting the ball into the top corner.
As the Blades managed to get a league win under their belt for the first time since beating Wolves 2-1 in early November, Chris Wilder reserved special praise for the Englishman while speaking to the club (via their official YouTube channel).
Chris Wilder raves about “outstanding” Manchester City loanee James McAtee
Ex-Sheffield United striker Carl Asaba once compared the 21-year-old to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, which emphasises how much he seems to be impressing at Bramall Lane.
Chris Wilder also heaped praise on Manchester City academy graduate James McAtee after he stepped up to the plate against Brentford, notably with his wonder-strike on Saturday.
“He is [going to be some player], he is. Is he for sale? I don’t know. I think his price might have gone up a little bit after today!”, Wilder said after the clash (via Sheffield United’s official YouTube channel).
“But do you know what? He’s a great kid. He wanted to come and play his football here. He could have had an easier ride, an easier pathway. He could have gone into the Championship and played, but he wanted to come here and I think that was because of what happened last year and how much he enjoyed it and enjoys it here.”
“It’s a great finish and I thought he was outstanding again. Yet again he’s just he just ran out of puff; a few of them ran out of puff a little bit.”
The Sheffield United boss makes a great point about the top mentality James McAtee possesses
Chris Wilder, much like most can clearly see that James McAtee has a bright future.
But the 56-year-old made an intriguing point by praising the youngster’s mentality as he chose to join Sheffield United rather than heading to the Championship on loan once again.
The silky technician displayed his excellence in the second tier of English football last season and as a result, it was key for him to make his next move to further his development.
James McAtee seemingly decided not the take the easy way out and join a side that seemed destined to be in a relegation dogfight this season.
However, McAtee is gaining invaluable experience on the pitch, considering he has started nine Premier League games already and is showing progress as a player at the senior level.
Ultimately, this decision could work wonders for the highly-rated talent in the long term, especially when assessing his long-term future at Manchester City.
