---
title: "Love praised after United debut"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2016/02/16/love-praised-united-debut/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Man Utd News"
published: "2016-02-16T17:39:35Z"
modified: "2016-02-16T17:39:35Z"
---

# Love praised after United debut

Donald Love has been praised by former Manchester United academy director Brian McClair after making his debut for the Red Devils.

The right-back came on in the first-half of the game against Sunderland at the weekend after Matteo Darmian dislocated his shoulder. Love put in a decent performance despite United falling to a 2-1 defeat.

![Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2016/02/509960050.jpg)And McClair, who is currently the performance director at the Scottish Football Association, was impressed with how the 21-year-old handled himself on his Premier League debut. Speaking on the [Scottish FA website](https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1986&newsCategoryID=6&newsID=15947), the former United player said:

> *Making your debut for such a big club like Manchester United is nerve-wracking for any player, let alone a young player in such a high-pressure environment like a Premier League match.*
>
> *He’d have no doubt been apprehensive, but he was positive in his involvement in the match. “From that first moment onwards he settled into the flow of the match, and along with United’s other young full-back (Cameron Borthwick-Jackson), he was one of United’s most attacking threats on Saturday.*
>
> *It will have been something he has dreamed about for a long time.*

![Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2016/02/509957204.jpg)

Love, who recently returned from a loan spell at League One side Wigan Athletic, is a Scottish under-21 international, and McClair hinted that the defender could be in line for a call-up to Gordon Strachan’s senior side for Scotland’s friendlies against the Czech Republic and Denmark if he gets a regular run for Louis van Gaal’s side.

He said:

> *I think it’s a great sign of progress that he was given a chance by the manager to show what he can do.*
>
> *With the injuries at United at the moment, he has a chance of getting more games under his belt, and I’m sure that is something that Gordon will be keeping an eye on. He’s got a lot going for him, but overall to see a young Scottish player feature in that environment can only be a positive thing.*