Amass the answer to a mess? Give him a chance.
Harry Amass was 15 when Watford’s manager, Slaven Bilic, put him on the bench at Reading in the FA Cup on January 7, 2023. Amass didn’t come on but Bilic clearly saw something in the callow left-back that he liked and trusted.
Amass moved on to Manchester United that summer and, last April, having just turned 17, was put on the bench by Erik ten Hag against Liverpool in the Premier League. United’s usual injury mess was the reason for Amass’ involvement but Ten Hag, like Bilic, saw something in Amass.
So did all the England coaches at Under-15, 16 and 17 level who have picked Amass. So did Greg Lincoln, the England Under-17s head coach, in sending Amass on to show his nerveless nature and convert his penalty against Italy in the European Under-17 Championship in Cyprus this summer (England lost the shootout but Amass delivered).
At senior level, the summer at Euro 2024 celebrated the youthful verve of Lamine Jamal and Nico Williams, Jamal Musiala and Arda Guler, Javi Simons and Kobbie Mainoo. If two of the best players at the Copa America were James Rodriguez (33) and Emi Martinez (31), also lauded was the promise of the 17-year-old Kendry Paez, the Ecuadorean who joins Chelsea next summer, Manchester City’s 20-year-old Brazilian Savio, and the 21-year-old Venezuelan defender Jon Aramburu.