When Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was standing on the touchline, preparing to make his Manchester United debut against West Bromwich Albion back in November, you could have been forgiven for thinking "Who is that?".

With his lean, gangly frame and his shock of hair that seems based on Bart Simpsons, he didn't look like a typical football player let alone a United player. Then, you also discover he has a strange and unique running style, with his arms tucked tightly into his body. At 18 years of age (although he was 19 on 2nd February), it would have been easy to fear for him. Well, looks can be deceiving, and nobody should fear anymore. Borthwick-Jackson has proved he is a class act.

Old head on young shoulders

His looks and his age mean nothing when compared to his ability. In the midst of another injury crisis at the back, he has come into the first team fold and grasped his opportunity with both hands. He looks a star in the making, and the most astonishing aspect is his attitude. He looks unfazed by anything or anyone and is displaying a maturity well beyond his years.

Borthwick-Jackson slides in perfectly against Sheffield United | Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Borthwick-Jackson slides in perfectly against Sheffield United | Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

A home debut consisting of 14 minutes plus injury time when United are leading sounds a good way to make your bow. However, the game was in the balance, and any United debut must be nerve wracking. The young boy hasn't shown a sign of nerves though, and he has been involved in some big games. He was trusted to come on very early in the must-win clash at Wolfsburg and at Anfield recently, and he has now started the last three games as injuries continue to plague United.

He has a fantastic calmness about him. Whether defending, or supporting in attack, his facial expression remains as cool as ice. It's as if it is just another game and another situation he has faced a thousand times. It's like he is playing with his mates in the park. It is very early days to start calling him a superstar, but he has not put a foot wrong so far and doesn't look as though he has a weakness.

He hasn't been taken to the cleaners yet, in fact, he has hardly been beaten by a winger full stop. Part of that is down to his positioning. He is not being exposed one on one because he is touch tight when the wide men receive the ball, not allowing them a run at him. In one or two of his early games he did get to his man a little late, and the ball was popped off before he arrived leaving him out of position. They were small errors that the best full backs make, and they haven't been seen since.

His awareness is fantastic, and he has already shown that he can sense danger and come inside on the cover. Although he is thin, he has a good, athletic physique and he has an appetite to get up and down and seems to know when to go and when to stay. Against Stoke City, he showed that when he does get forward he knows what to do with the ball. The cross into Jesse Lingard for United's first goal was magnificent. It was the perfect ball that's impossible to defend, in between the goalkeeper and defenders.

He will face competition when 'stars' return

He looks composed in possession and is a good passer, and quite simply looks a real star. That's the good news. The bad news is, the injury crisis will clear in time. Luke Shaw, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young are all out with long-term injuries and the away fans Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo keep having a succession of injuries, but both of those could be nearing fitness soon. That will give Louis van Gaal a decision to make. Rojo could replace Borthwick-Jackson directly at left back, but Jones' return could mean Daley Blind could shuffle across and oust the youngster.

Either of those scenarios would prove harsh. At such a tender age, the one thing you expect is inconsistency but Borthwick-Jackson has showed no signs of his performance level dipping. For that reason, the walking wounded can take their time coming back and maybe take in the odd game from terraces once more.

Van Gaal as shown that if you are good enough then age does not matter, but that said there are a few examples of players who have tasted action and that was their lot. Michael Keane and Reece James got a some action early on in his reign but were sold in double quick time. Tyler Blackett had a decent run and looked excellent on times, especially in a back three. A disaster at Leicester City that included a sending off may have sealed his fate. He is now on loan at Celtic and not getting much game time.

Paddy McNair enjoyed a similarly meteoric rise to Borthwick-Jackson, and whilst he is a first team member still, his appearances this year have been fleeting. Borthwick-Jackson could follow the same path as McNair once the established players return and his biggest problem will be Shaw. Assuming Shaw fully recovers from the horrific injury he suffered at PSV Eindhoven, then he will be a difficult object to remove. His form before his leg break was superb, and it was no coincidence that United have suffered in his absence. He is, of course, a relative baby himself at 20.

The cream always rises to the top though and Borthwick-Jackson looks to have a massive future. United's youth set up is being panned at the moment after a heavy defeat in the FA Youth Cup, an incredible losing streak in the league and reports of reduced funding in the future. Borthwick-Jackson is proving that despite the current woes, United can still find and hone a gem, and the biggest problem they have now and in the future is going to be holding on to him. There will be plenty of teams willing to upgrade his Vauxhall Corsa.

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