‘The pathway is there’ – Loanee takes inspiration from promising Manchester United trio

Joe Hugill was sent on loan to Wigan Athletic this season, but he speaks passionately about having the inspiration to break into the Manchester United first team.

The ideal scenario for Hugill would be to make it as a regular in the Manchester United first team. It’s going to take a lot of hard work as well as luck because multiple things will need to go his way for that to happen.

Take Marcus Rashford as an example. The academy graduate got the nod from Louis van Gaal due to injuries and a lack of options. It was up to a young Rashford to take his opportunity and he did exactly that.

However, Hugill has been at United since the summer of 2020 after joining the academy from Sunderland. The move led to several loan spells with the latest at Wigan Athletic in League One.

The 21-year-old scored a brace against Bristol Rovers last month before suffering an injury setback.

Joe Hugill believes in Manchester United pathway

Speaking to Sky Sports, Hugill revealed that he has three inspirations in the United first team, with all of them previously playing for the academy.

“I signed at the same time as Garnacho,” Hugill told Sky Sports. “He had a slow start but he’s kicked on massively. Similar to Amad as well. It can take time to settle in.

“You can see Kobbie as well smashing it in the first team. I played with him since I got to United. And he hasn’t changed how he plays – that freedom, that driving with the ball, the way he finds the pass. He always had all that.

“It shows that the pathway is there, and that’s where I want to be as well.”

Only time will tell if Hugill can develop his game and become a Premier League goalscorer. That is what he needs to achieve if he wants to follow the footsteps of Mainoo and Garnacho into the first team.