Why Man Utd must farm Ethan Hamilton out on loan again
Ethan Hamilton has returned to Manchester United after his loan spell at Southend United was cut short.
The midfielder joined the Shrimpers on a season-long loan in the summer but has now headed back to Old Trafford. Hamilton made 18 appearances for the Blues but he was an unused substitute in the last four matches. The Shrimpers are having a pretty torrid campaign and it isn’t too shocking that the top-flight giants have recalled him.
Southend are second from bottom in the League One and came to a mutual agreement with United to allow Hamilton to return this month. Scotland youth international Hamilton played 16 times for Southend after a successful four-month spell on loan with fellow League One side Rochdale, where he scored four times to spark their resurgence and avoid relegation.
Hamilton was named in the United squad for their FA Cup fifth-round tie at Huddersfield Town in 2018 but is unlikely to figure in their third-round trip to Wolves on Saturday. United midfielders Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay are both out injured.
Hamilton travelled with the United squad to the United States for their pre-season tour in 2018 and came on in the 1-1 draw with AC Milan in Carson City. He has never played for the first-team in a competitive fixture, though.
Although Pogba and McTominay are currently out injured, Hamilton is unlikely to get game time with the Red Devils. James Garner and Angel Gomes and ahead of him in the pecking order and are in contention to make the starting XI.
The 21-year-old Hamilton was an important player for the League One side for a few months but a managerial change in October relegated him to the bench.
It does seem unlikely that United have brought him back with a view to putting him straight into the first team. With the January transfer window open, United should loan him out to another club and make sure that the youngster gets game time under his belt.
