Young players are always coming in and out of teams at this stage of a season.
Injuries, a loss of form, or even a cup competition - no one really cares about forces managers to freshen things up.
Manchester United, of course, have a proud tradition of including at least one youth player in their first team squad for all games, and Louis van Gaal has proudly continued that during his spell at Old Trafford.
On Thursday night Joe Riley is set to take his place on the bench for the Europa league clash with Denmark’s Midtjylland as well as fellow youngster Regan Poole.
Riley was born in 1996, which makes him a full ten years younger than this writer.
As if we didn’t feel old enough as it is, we were pointed in the direction of a picture that should also make Cristiano Ronaldo feel a bit teary-eyed at the passage of time.
Riley posted an Instagram picture that surely cannot be him much older than nine or ten years of age with his hero looking as tanned as ever just over a month ago.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAF14aGGCHa/
