Manchester United starlet Anthony Elanga nearly broke a world record in preseason training
According to MUTV (h/t The Mirror), Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga nearly broke a world record set by Chris Spell. The pacy attacker has been one of the few players who impressed under Ralf Rangnick and it has helped him gain valuable playing time at such a tender age.
However, he soon started losing his form at the end of the season before his goals dried up. He was one of the few positives from the previous campaign as he netted three goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.
The Swede has featured once in the last three preseason games as he would aim to break into the starting XI. The Manchester United squad has been blooming with young stars with players like Hannibal Mejbri, Charlie Savage, and Zidane Iqbal, all getting opportunities to shine.
Erik ten Hag would be looking to utilise his players well and incorporate his philosophies into the team. The manager has a keen eye for the youth as seen during his Ajax Amsterdam days and this could help Elanga in progress even further.
However, the 20-year-old’s pace has been his strength as seen last season. The winger would be able to get past defenders with ease and sneak in-between spaces which impressed his former manager. Such is his speed that he has been deemed as the fastest player in the squad.
Speaking to MUTV, the former United player, Robson revealed the name of the player who was probably the fastest in the squad. He said:
“When I was speaking with Darren Fletcher, he said he’s [Elanga] probably the quickest at the club. He has to use that pace and make the right runs. He has to get in the box and score goals. If you get four chances in a game can you put two of them away?”
The fans would be surprised to know the fact that the Swede has been faster than Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who themselves are pacey players. Even if this wasn’t enough, the winger was even close to breaking a world record during the preseason training.
It has been claimed that he was seen jumping 63 inches- which would be roughly above five feet. The world record is currently being held by American trainer Chris Spell, who jumped just four inches higher than Elanga.
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Elanga certainly has the raw potential to develop into a reliable player for Man United. It would appear that he is more than a speed merchant and can yet add new dimensions to his game.