“He’s taken a backward step”: United star with “big reputation” fails to convince club legend – exclusive

Manchester United have two incredibly talented young centre-backs in Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, but which of them has the higher ceiling? It is a question that fans continue to debate in the pubs and on social media. In 2024, Yoro was snapped up by United for a fee of around £52 million, a remarkable sum for an 18-year-old centre-back. Such was the reputation he carried already at that age. Heaven was also considered quite a coup. A year younger, the Red Devils snapped him up for £1.5 million when he refused to sign professional terms with Arsenal. With Harry Maguire nearing the end of his career and both Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez prone to injury, United will come to rely more and more on the young pair. But after a difficult season for Yoro and just a handful of matches under Heaven’s belt, the question remains: which of the two is more likely to succeed at Old Trafford? There are few more qualified to tackle this difficult topic than a club legend in the same position, Gary Pallister, who believes that success may not necessarily depend on who has the greater amount of raw talent. Pallister, speaking exclusively to The Peoples Person in association with Spreadex Sports, warned: “Certainly, Leny’s had a tough season. I thought that the end of the season before, he really learned how to deal with the Premier League, and I thought he was starting to look like a player, but he’s taken a backward step last year.” “Ayden Heaven’s done okay;” he continued. “I still think he’s got a little bit to learn, making the right decisions in games.” Reputations “Leny came with a big reputation,” Pallister explained. “Real Madrid were also in for Leny Yoro. So the expectancy on him was a lot bigger.” “But they both have got high expectations. Obviously, Ayden came from Arsenal. And they weren’t too pleased to lose him.” “The bar’s been set quite high for the two of them, and they’ve got to try and reach that bar. So, you know, [it’s a question of ] who grasps it first, really” The higher ceiling We pressed Pallister on which of the pair he thinks has the higher ceiling. “Leny might have the better attributes;” he admitted. “That doesn’t always make you the better center-half. So maybe there’s more scope for Leny to be that player that everybody expected him to be.” “But I think it’s too tight to call really. They’ve both shown that they can handle the Premier League at times, but again, it’s down to experience and playing games and then the trust of the manager.” Carrick’s assessment of Yoro mirrors that of another legendary centre-back, Rio Ferdinand, who discussed the Frenchman’s progress in an interview this week. Read the first part of our exclusive interview with Gary Pallister here. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Red Billy Red Billy is the managing editor of The Peoples Person, author of three books and two magazines and totally obsessed with football’s transfer market. Billy first saw United live in 1971, watching George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, before becoming a League Match ticket book holder from 1975/76 and a writer since 1995. Billy still insists Matteo Darmian and Alex Telles could have made it at United given half a chance.