'Man Utd had two chances to sign me - now they know why the fans are furious'

Lucas Bergvall had two trials at Manchester United - and fans are upset he wasn’t signed after the Swede’s Carabao Cup winner for Tottenham against Liverpool.

Having touched down in north London this summer - snatched from the jaws of Barcelona in January for £8.5million but left to develop with hometown outfit Djurgardens - Bergvall has been thrown into the deep end by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.

The 18-year-old featured sparingly at the beginning of the campaign, but with injuries in midfield growing, Postecoglou has shown faith in the teenager for his team’s last two outings. The youngster repaid it in spades with an 86th-minute winner at home to league leaders Liverpool on Wednesday - but only after surviving a red card scare for taking out Kostas Tsimikas two minutes prior while already on a booking.

His stunning emergence led United fans to rue the fact the Sweden international wasn't snapped up after a pair of trials at Old Trafford were unearthed.

Bergvall’s first trial at Carrington came in 2020 when he was 14 and playing for IF Brommapojkarna. Though he impressed and was invited for a second trial at 16, the Red Devils passed on securing his signature.

One reason for not offering the youngster a deal was reportedly post-Brexit transfer rules, which place strict limits on international moves for players aged under 18.

According to the MEN, a turnover of United’s recruitment staff at the time of Bergvall’s second trial in 2022 also saw him slip through the cracks. He signed for Djurgardens that same year and, after turning 18 last February, joined Spurs in July.

Fans online voiced their frustrations over United passing up on Bergvall after his Carabao Cup semi-final performance, with one stating: “Shows the administrative failure that the club did not keep relations open with the player and his reps so as to be able to bring him to United once he turned 18."

Spurs boss Postecoglou joined in with the praise for him, too, stating after his match-winning goal: “Lucas was brilliant. Like I said, I haven't lost sight of the fact that we've got two 18-year-olds, one who's playing at centre-back (Archie Gray). It's not even his position.

"I just don't think people really understand the level of performance that these young guys are giving us at the moment. Lucas is just growing all the time. He's got that ability as a footballer to create space for himself. He's got the quality, but he works awfully hard for the team as well."