Wayne Rooney believes Shea Lacey’s impactful cameo off the bench against AS Roma has shown he’s worthy of more game time.

Manchester United are next in action this Sunday when they host Aston Villa at Old Trafford, after which club action hits pause for another international break.

How Lacey fared vs Roma

From Lacey’s point of view, he’ll certainly feel as though he’s done enough to have earned a starting spot – and it would mark his first-ever Premier League start if he were named in the XI.

The 19-year-old entered the fray in the 75th minute in place of Amad Diallo, and went on to provide the match-winning assist for Matheus Cunha to complete United’s remarkable turnaround on Tuesday night.

Beyond his goal contribution, he recorded seven successful passes and three take-ons. Lacey also won four of his five duels contested, with Squawka hailing him for his ‘instant impact’ in the UCL thriller.

What Rooney had to say about Lacey

Given how integral he was to the triumph, fans are desperate to see the Carrington graduate rewarded this weekend.

Rooney was keen to single out Lacey for praise when analysing Cunha’s second goal on Prime Sport post-match, as he said: “That’s a great touch inside and a wonderful pass [from Lacey], and the finish is incredible [from Cunha].

“If you look at it again, you probably think, ‘can he square it and play your teammate in?’ But for me, it’s all about that first touch [from Lacey]. [He] takes the defender out, and that pass is incredible.

“We’ve said about Amad, Amad does some really good things, but it’s that end product — that is what takes you to the next level.

“And the glimpses of what I’ve seen from Lacey when he has come on, especially this season, he has got something in there, that little touch and little pass which United needed to get them over the line in this game.”