Angel Gomes is good enough to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, his former Manchester United academy coach Nicky Butt has said (Mike Egerton/PA) (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
New England star Angel Gomes is good enough to play for Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City but would not benefit from a return to Manchester United, according to his former Red Devils academy coach Nicky Butt.
The Lille midfielder made a strong impression in his first start for England against Finland earlier this week. His contract expires in the summer and he is already reportedly wanted by several Premier League clubs, including Newcastle.
Butt, who was head of United's academy when Gomes signed his first professional contract in 2017, believes the 24-year-old is destined for even bigger things than that.
“I think he can do better than some of the teams who will be prepared to sign him in the Premier League,” Butt told the PA news agency.
“The Spanish league is written for Angel. He could easily play in the Premier League. He could play for City tomorrow.”
“When Angel left United (in 2020) I said to him, ‘You’re going to go on and have an incredible career and I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up playing against Manchester United for Barcelona or Real Madrid in the next five, six, seven years’, because he was that good. And I’m not saying that now that he’s made his England debut, I really thought that for a long time.”
“He could easily play in the Premier League. He could play for City tomorrow. But if you put him at Manchester United at the moment, he has to have the legs to go into the centre of midfield where there is a huge space, people are running through the Manchester United midfield like you wouldn't believe. It's a really difficult game for him then.”
Butt has teamed up with his former Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes for a new podcast, Football's Greatest: Eras, in which the pair discuss in-depth their experiences in Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering team. The eight-part series launches on Wednesday.
While Butt and Scholes have been able to progress into the first team, Butt believes a lack of physicality has forced Gomes to take a more scenic route to the top.
Gomes became the first player born in the 21st century to feature in the Premier League when he made his United debut in May 2017, but it was one of only five substitute appearances he made in the league for the Red Devils. He joined Lille in August 2020 and was immediately loaned to Portuguese club Boavista for the 2020-21 season.
He has established himself as a key player at Lille and recorded eight assists in Ligue 1 last season, the second-best tally in the division.
“He’s a brave boy, his work ethic is excellent, his attitude is second to none, he ticks all the boxes,” Butt added.
“But back then, when we needed someone coming in from the youth team or recruiting, it was all about physicality. But we knew he was going to go on and have an incredible career wherever he went.”
Scholes also praised Gomes, adding: “It's brave to leave and go to a foreign country, I couldn't imagine doing it.”
“He had to establish himself there. There will be bigger clubs after him now.”
Butt revealed Gomes sent him a thank you message ahead of his England debut.
“I think he's sent messages to a lot of people, he's just a lovely guy,” Butt said.
“He just said to me: 'Thank you, this debut is the work of a lot of people and you're part of it'. It was really nice. He sent that to all the coaches he worked with at United and everywhere else, not just me.”
:: Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes' new podcast 'Football's Greatest: Eras' launches on Wednesday.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1949487/Angel-Gomes-Real-Madrid-Man-Utd-transfer