'Some Man Utd players may have been intimidated by weight of shirt'

Angel Gomes is different that got away. From the protective bosom astatine Manchester United to going it unsocial successful France - Gomes feels the value of the garment astatine his erstwhile nine whitethorn person impacted some, but rules it retired arsenic a defining origin arsenic to wherefore galore person flourished elsewhere.

The England planetary has diverted from a travel galore believed helium was destined to instrumentality - having joined United astatine the property of six, Gomes stepped done the echelons of inferior shot regarded arsenic 1 of English football's brightest prospects.

Indeed, erstwhile helium made his elder debut - replacing Wayne Rooney arsenic a substitute astatine 16 years and 263 days - helium became the youngest subordinate to correspond Manchester United since Duncan Edwards successful 1953.

The hype was deafening, it seemed for each the satellite that Gomes' publication was written.

Fast-forward 8 years and helium is walking a antithetic path. He'd made conscionable 5 substitute Premier League appearances earlier leaving for Lille successful the summertime of 2020.

He is connected the determination again this summer, agreeing to articulation Champions League-bound Marseille.

And successful an exclusive interrogation with BBC Sport, the midfielder discusses his United upbringing, wherefore helium and others person shone distant from Old Trafford, wherefore size does not substance and his irritation astatine suggestions his 4 England caps are rooted successful nepotism.

"From the infinitesimal you measurement into the place, the coaches are telling you astir the past of the club," explains Gomes.

"The Busby Babes, they amusement you pictures of George Best and Bobby Charlton. The civilization is acceptable early.

"You cognize everything astir the nine and what it represents. It's conscionable thing that you carry."

Gomes' United recollections are enlightening. He opens up connected the "black footwear policy" - a regularisation acceptable wrong United's academy that banned colourful boots.

"You would play against different teams and they'd beryllium wearing colourful boots that you wanted to wear, due to the fact that your idols wore colourful boots," confessed Gomes.

"But reasoning astir it now, it was cleanable due to the fact that they wanted everyone to beryllium the same."

Gomes was successful bully institution during his years successful the younker strategy - Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams among the prospects the 24-year-old played with.

Credible proposal was ever wrong reach, too. His begetter Gil was a footballer, making 19 appearances for Portugal Under-21s.

Then there's godfather Nani, who won 8 large titles astatine Old Trafford.

"Growing up I ever had that enactment from my family, but erstwhile I had conversations with Nani and dad, it's antithetic due to the fact that I cognize they person been there," said Gomes.

"Going to Nani's house, however helium lives his life, however helium treats people, his behaviour disconnected the transportation - looking backmost present I took a batch from him."

As Gomes edged person to first-team recognition, the unit built. Tales of first-team grooming astatine United are worldly of legend. Intensity. Honesty. Ferocity.

"I was 16 - grooming with the likes of Rooney, [Michael] Carrick, [Juan] Mata, and Ander Herrera," Gomes explained.

"I'd play Fifa with these players and present you're adjacent to them, it's surreal. It's hard to flick the power and recognize you're portion of the team.

"I retrieve being successful the academy and proceeding astir those sessions: if Michael Carrick fires a shot successful astatine you, are you going to beryllium capable to power it?"

Life arsenic a United subordinate is seldom straightforward. Much is made of the 'weight of the shirt'.

Take McTominay for example, a subordinate who dipped successful and retired of first-team shot astatine United earlier leaving for Napoli past summer.

A twelvemonth on, McTominay is simply a leader successful Naples - helping Antonio Conte's broadside to the Serie A rubric portion nurturing a estimation arsenic 1 of Italy's premier midfielders.

Gomes, having been heralded arsenic 1 of United's champion prospects, recovered his way to elder planetary designation distant from Old Trafford.

Yet helium doesn't needfully concur with the presumption that he, oregon definite players, payment from being escaped of the value of the United shirt.

"I deliberation immoderate do," says Gomes.

"Players whitethorn person been intimated oregon not truly cognize astir the weight, what it carries and what it takes.

"But ultimately, sometimes, it's down to environment, timing, and having the close things successful spot to assistance you.

"Some players who person near and gone connected to bash amended than erstwhile they were astatine United, determination mightiness beryllium things successful spot astatine that definite club, astatine that infinitesimal successful time, that helped them succeed.

"Sometimes it's not arsenic achromatic and achromatic arsenic they failed, oregon they've not held their ain determination due to the fact that of the value of the shirt."

It's a dynamic Gomes is well-placed to discuss. His determination to permission United for Lille, via a indebtedness determination to Boavista, successful 2020 has proved the making of the midfielder.

That's not to accidental leaving Manchester was a straightforward decision.

"It was evidently a hard process due to the fact that determination are a batch of things that propulsion you towards staying," recalls Gomes.

"But past you person to deliberation astir what is close for your career. There were a batch of things I sacrificed."

With much than 100 elder appearances nether his belt, including Champions League experience, Gomes reflects with contentment astatine the determination to permission his comfortableness zone. That's not to accidental helium ever had spot successful those convictions.

"It was hard [leaving England] but besides refreshing - the past fewer years, going nether the radar, if anything, helped maine concentrate," Gomes insists.

Away from the English spotlight, Gomes has honed his game, uncovering a mode to flooded the obstacles that whitethorn different person held him back.

At 5ft 6in (168cm), Gomes isn't arsenic imposing, successful a carnal sense, arsenic different cardinal midfielders.

"It's hard due to the fact that I consciousness similar it's thing I person had to explicate since I was young - I person had to trust connected antithetic strengths," Gomes said.

"When idiosyncratic asks maine I accidental I'm a midfielder, due to the fact that I tin play arsenic a 6, 8 oregon 10. When I was successful Portugal I played connected the left, mendacious 9 oregon connected the right. I consciousness I tin play anyplace connected the pitch.

"I'm technical, I similar to beryllium connected the ball, dictate, assistance successful each areas of the pitch. Receive the shot successful immoderate area.

"Paul Scholes was akin successful that sense. Thiago [Alcantara], Deco they are midfielders, not 6s oregon 8s - conscionable midfielders - that's who I privation to emulate."

Last summer's England call-up offered Gomes a level of vindication for the pugnacious decisions that came before.

He came connected successful the 2-0 triumph implicit Ireland past September earlier making his afloat debut against Finland astatine Wembley 3 days aboriginal - under-21 brag Lee Carsley, taking complaint of England connected an interim basis, showing religion successful Gomes' playmaking abilities.

Gomes plays successful a presumption England person recovered hard to fill. The dearth of heavy lying ball-playing midfielders led Gareth Southgate to commencement Euro 2024 with Trent Alexander-Arnold - a right-back by commercialized - successful the role.

"The comic happening is I deliberation we are [producing players of that type], there's a lot," insisted Gomes.

The midfielder's power caught the oculus for England. Against Finland helium accumulated 131 touches of the shot - the astir of immoderate subordinate connected the transportation - completing a 94% walk accuracy.

In his adjacent commencement for England, successful the instrumentality Nations League fixture successful Helsinki, Gomes had 108 touches during his 79 minutes connected the tract - successfully completing 97% of his passes - assisting the opener for Jack Grealish successful a 3-1 win.

Yet Gomes has been forced to contend with jibes that his call-up was a effect of favouritism from Carsley, who he'd worked with astatine under-21 level.

"It was hard to perceive radical saying it was a favour due to the fact that I knew personally it wasn't," Gomes said.

"Before the past Euros determination was a property league that Gareth [Southgate] gave and I was mentioned.

"I retrieve getting a pre-call enactment for 1 squad. I thought it could person been a gag truthful I forwarded the connection to Lee Carsley and helium said it was genuine.

"So I knew it wasn't a favour, determination was a batch of enactment for maine to get to that point."

Thomas Tuchel's assignment has stunted Gomes' advancement astatine planetary level.

He is yet to diagnostic successful either of the German's squads but, going into adjacent summer's World Cup, the erstwhile Chelsea brag has told Gomes helium remains connected England's radar.

"We've spoken, we had a mates of video calls and a fewer messages," adds Gomes.

"He is precise bully successful the consciousness that helium is ever watching and supporting. It's a precise bully narration successful that you tin talk and connection astatine immoderate moment.

"I've not managed to get into the squad [under Tuchel] yet but it's thing I volition effort hard to do.

"The World Cup is the aim. The pinnacle. That's an purpose of excavation and I cognize what needs to beryllium done to get maine there."

Five years aft leaving Old Trafford, Gomes is acceptable for a 2nd consecutive play successful the Champions League - with his imagination of playing successful a World Cup for England inactive alive.