Manchester United have confirmed their latest batch of academy scholars, and the list includes a name Nigerian football followers will want to keep an eye on: defender Idris Fabiyi.

Fabiyi is among 15 players awarded first-year scholarship contracts at the club, a standard step for academy prospects in English football, where Premier League rules require players under 17 to begin the season on a scholarship deal before they become eligible to sign professional terms once they turn 17.

The intake includes several notable names alongside Fabiyi, among them Kai Rooney, son of club legend Wayne Rooney, and Jacey Carrick, son of Manchester United coach Michael Carrick, underlining the level of company he now finds himself in.

Fabiyi has been steadily working his way up United’s youth ranks, recently featuring for the club at the SuperCup NI youth tournament in Northern Ireland and playing a role in the side that won the Under-15 Premier League Floodlit Cup. The scholarship group is set to take part in a Professional Development Phase training trip to Germany as part of their continued development.

England-born, Fabiyi is eligible to represent Nigeria through his parents, and while he remains free to choose England as well, his social media activity suggests he keeps close ties to his Nigerian heritage, following both the Nigeria Football Federation and Victor Osimhen. Manchester United’s academy has a strong recent record of producing first team talent, with graduates like Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford both establishing themselves at senior level.