Who is Joe Hugill? Things to know about the Man Utd starlet
If you want to make a good impression at Manchester United, scoring four times in a 6-3 win over Liverpool is probably the best thing you could do.
That’s exactly what 17-year-old striker Joe Hugill managed when he turned out for United’s Under-23 side recently, stealing the show alongside debutant Amad Diallo, and his performance has left some fans calling for a speedy promotion to the first team.
Let’s take a closer look at Hugill.
Good to get started @ManUtd ⚽️?? pic.twitter.com/D6DOgEFzqL
— Joe Hugill (@9joehugill) July 30, 2020
Sunderland’s fine record of bringing through young players has seen them preyed on by a number of England’s top sides, and Hugill was one of the most in-demand players in the club’s recent history.
Electric performances at youth level had Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Wolves and Leeds all interested, while Tottenham were battling for his signature until the very end, but United’s allure was just too strong.
The Red Devils parted with just £300,000 to bring Hugill over to Old Trafford in the summer, and it already looks like a bargain.
? @9joehugill ?
?️ https://t.co/WvAyOYy6KU#SAFCAcademy pic.twitter.com/eXW3WO8aUB
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) February 29, 2020
Having seen youngster Josh Maja walk away from the club in January 2019, Sunderland fans‘ fury towards losing young players is at an all-time high.
The Black Cats‘ academy is widely accepted to be one of the best in the country, but losing the likes of Bali Mumba, Sam Greenwood and Luca Stephenson has grown to hurt.
Because Hugill, and fellow United signee Logan Pye, had not signed professional contracts, they could be snapped up for pennies, and now Sunderland fans are scared they may have lost the next big thing for just £300,000.
Hugill has long been playing Under-23 football, despite the fact he only turned 17 in October.
While his natural eye for a goal has helped him settle in well, academy coaches have always been confident that he could hold his own against older players because of his towering frame.
Hugill now stands at an imposing 6’2, and while he doesn’t exactly have the strongest build, he knows how to use his body to his advantage.
As a tall, prolific striker, comparisons to Tottenham striker Harry Kane have never been far away for Hugill.
He doesn’t have the eye for a pass like we’ve seen from Kane recently, but when it comes to goalscoring ability, it’s not hard to understand the links; Hugill boasts that natural ability to score goals.
Hugill isn’t as slow as many strikers his height either. He’s no Usain Bolt, but he still has enough about him to ask questions of defenders.
What’s better than one four-goal haul against Liverpool? Two four-goal hauls against Liverpool, that’s what.
If we head back to March 2019, we’ll find Sunderland’s Under-15 side thumping Liverpool 4-1 in the Floodlit Cup, and it was Hugill who stole the show.
He then went on to score in a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the semi-final, only to come unstuck against Wigan Athletic in the northern final.
There’s a famous image of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer joining coaches Nicky Butt and Michael Carrick to watch United’s Under-18s in action, and it was actually at that game that the boss first saw Hugill perform.
Solskjaer watched on as United beat Hugill’s Sunderland in August 2019, and while the young striker didn’t get on the scoresheet for the Black Cats that day, he clearly did enough to convince the group that he was ready for a move.
Club scouts continued to track Hugill for the remainder of the season, and he eventually made his way to Manchester the following summer.