Wonderkid Chido Obi Martin capped his full debut for Manchester United Under-18s with a hat trick, as the Red Devils recorded a 6-0 victory over Nottingham Forest Under-18s on Saturday afternoon.
The 16-year-old, who recently arrived at Old Trafford following his departure from Arsenal, made his debut for Man United Under-18s as a substitute in their 4-3 success over Sunderland Under-18s on October 19.
The forward was then given the nod to start against Forest Under-18s on Saturday, and he scored inside the first minute, before adding a second in the fifth minute of the contest.
Obi Martin then completed his hat trick in the 14th minute, and he was replaced at the half-time break, as his fitness is being carefully managed due to the fact that he did not undergo a pre-season.
James Scanlon, Amir Ibragimov and Jim Thwaites were also on the scoresheet during the impressive performance from Adam Lawrence's side, who have now won all seven of their matches in the competition this term.
Obi Martin will now be aiming to make his third appearance for the club when their league campaign continues with a clash against Leeds Under-18s on November 2.
© Imago
How did Obi Martin perform for Arsenal Under-18s?
The forward decided against signing a new contract with Arsenal over the summer, and Man United beat a number of clubs to his signature, but the deal was only confirmed earlier this month.
The fact that Obi Martin moved between two Category One academies meant that the deal took some time to be completed, and Man United will be patient when it comes to the youngster due to his lack of action since the end of last season.
Obi Martin had a stunning 2023-24 campaign for Arsenal Under-18s, scoring 32 goals in 18 appearances, including 28 goals in his final nine appearances of the campaign, while he hit the headlines last November with 10 goals for Arsenal Under-16s in a single match against Liverpool Under-16s.
Arsenal attempted to sign the Denmark Under-18s international to a new deal, but he allegedly did not see a route into the first team at the Emirates Stadium and decided to seek pastures new.
Obi Martin debuted for Arsenal Under-21s at the age of 15, and it might not be too long before he is pushed up another level, while more strong performances would certainly put him in the thoughts of first-team manager Erik ten Hag.
Matt Law
