Proud moment: 18yo Man United wonderkid makes senior international debut

Manchester United youngster Diego Leon earned his first senior international cap for Paraguay in their friendly clash against South Korea on Tuesday.

Leon came off the bench in the 81st minute but could not help his side avoid a 2–0 defeat.

The 18-year-old moved to Old Trafford from Cerro Porteno for an initial fee of £3.2 million, which could rise to £7m with add-ons.

While he has yet to make his senior debut for the Red Devils, the youngster featured for 45 minutes with the Under-21s last month and has been on the first-team bench for matches against Brentford and Sunderland.

Leon played for nine minutes against South Korea and accurately completed all five of his passes.

He also played a pass in the final third and even managed to get a shot away.

This cameo is too small of a sample size to fully assess his impact, but the occasion itself marks a huge milestone in the teenager’s career.

Representing his country at senior level is a moment Leon will cherish for life, and it is likely to give him a confidence boost heading back to Carrington.

Patrick Dorgu is the current first-choice left wing-back.

He has been earning plaudits for his relentless energy and tireless running down the flank.

The Danish international often finds himself in promising attacking positions, though his final delivery still needs refinement.

With Benjamin Sesko leading the line, Dorgu has a golden chance to rack up assists if he can add more consistency to his crossing.

Diogo Dalot is another option in that role, but the Portuguese full-back has endured a dip in form this season and has not been at his sharpest.

United have shown faith in Leon, choosing him ahead of Harry Amass.

Amass made his senior debut last season under Amorim but was surprisingly sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday on transfer deadline day.

Stats from Fotmob.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .