James Wilson should look for a loan move next season to continue to aid his development, according to a former Manchester United centre-forward.
Andy Ritchie feels the youngster should look for a temporary departure, in order to gain valuable experience before testing himself in the line-up of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.
Wilson is currently representing England Under-20s at the Toulon tournament, and has currently made 18 appearances for the Red Devils in the final game of the season at Hull City. He has been tipped to don the potential of a first-team regular in the future, but Wilson must ensure he develops sufficiently, and a loan spell could be make or break for the 19-year-old.
“He’s got pace and he can score goals – he’s done that throughout his career so far,” Ritchie said. “The one thing I think he needs now is to get some experience. Is it better for him to get that at a Championship club and get a season under his belt of good football? I think the Championship is a really tough league. After a season in the Championship, he would come back to United with a different perspective.
“There are a lot of things to consider and obviously the manager, Louis van Gaal, is the one who will make that decision. If Willo was kept at the football club as a third option in attack, I think that would be great, but – and this is only my opinion – I don’t think playing Under-21s football will further his career. I think that’s probably too easy for him. He needs a bigger challenge and if he plays in the Championship next season he’ll certainly get that challenge.
Ritchie started his career at the Theatre of Dreams, and made his senior debut in 1977. During his three years at the club, he scored 13 goals in 42 appearances, before featuring for the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Oldham Athletic.
“Sometimes you need to be taken out of your comfort zone and then you have to deal with it,” he added. “I think Willo’s got all the ingredients to be a top striker but he’s just got to be out of his comfort zone at times. There are a lot of players who need that.
“I think he’s got to work on his body as well because he’s very lean. I was a little bit bulkier than him at his age, I had a bit more meat on me. So he probably needs to get a little bit of bulk and be a bit stronger.”
Ritchie also commented on the other attacking options in the club – following Radamel Falcao’s recent return to parent club AS Monaco. With Rooney, van Persie and Wilson the three current strikers, while Javier Hernandez may also be a possibility once he returns from a loan spell at Real Madrid, he feels signings may be needed.
“There’s definitely room for one, maybe two [new strikers] depending on the situation,” Ritchie considered. “Memphis Depay is coming in and I’m excited about him. Primarily he’s left-sided but maybe he could do a job down the middle as well, given the circumstances. There’s going to be a need for defensive ins as well. It’s going to be a really busy summer, I think, and a very exciting one.”
James Wilson made his senior debut for United against Hull City in May 2014.
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