Manchester United U18 coach Neil Ryan says there's plans to promote Charlie McNeill to the U23 team.
The signing from Manchester City has been sensational for the U18s since his summer arrival.
Joe Hugill, another striker recruited by the academy in the summer, is practically with the Under-23s full-time and missed the Youth Cup win over Salford as he was needed for the second string's fixture with Brighton on Friday. That has enabled McNeill to take centre stage as the United U18s' centre forward.
"He'd be playing in the youth team, the plan was that," Ryan told the Manchester Evening News. "There will be games going forward where you see him with the Under-23s. But he is a centre-forward.
"If Joe's available, the two have played together for the youth team. Whether Joe is there or not, that is not really in my mind. He has played every game available.
"Settling into the club takes a little bit of time, of course, [McNeill] has settled in well since the summer. He is working very hard on the things we've identified he needs to improve on. So he's not the finished article.
"Like all of them, he is knuckling down, working hard, he's getting some rewards with goals - long may it continue."
