Manchester United youngster Louis Jackson was an emergency addition to the first team squad for the FA Cup semi-final.
A late injury to Willy Kambwala threw Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final preparations into a tailspin.
Casemiro was shifted into central defence, with Scott McTominay rushed into a return in midfield after an injury which had been expected to keep him out for longer.
This shuffling of the pack brought teenager Louis Jackson into the matchday squad for the first ever time.
Louis Jackson speaks out
Louis Jackson was part of the under-18s team which recently won the Premier League North title, defeated only once all season.
While Jackson was not brought on for a debut, he was extremely grateful to be called into the squad at Wembley.
He wrote on Instagram: “Memorable experience. Grateful to be around it yesterday.”
Louis Jackson was ready to step up
First team stars are expected to return in time for the FA Cup final next month, with the nightmare centre-back injury crisis likely to ease.
While Louis Jackson might make the bench in midweek in the Premier League against Sheffield United, his window of opportunity in the first time won’t be open long.
If he is called on, he will be ready. He proved this in the FA Youth Cup final back in 2022.
Jackson, 16 at the time, had only started one game in the lead-up to the final, and was called upon last minute to start after Tyler Fredricson fell ill.
Playing in front of 70,000 fans at Old Trafford was no problem for the teenager, and Wembley would have held no fear either.