Who is Jim Thwaites? Manchester United Academy Profile

Who is Jim Thwaites? Manchester United Academy Profile

When you hear the name Jim Thwaites, you might picture a player from the 1950s or even a member of the Busby Babes. Watch his free-kick technique, and you could mistake him for a certain star from the Class of ’92. But Jim Thwaites isn’t a name from the past—he’s one of the most exciting talents rising through Manchester United’s academy today. Let’s take a look at his player profile and key attributes.

Jim Thwaites is 16-years-old, English, he is a central midfielder and is right footed.

  • Date of Birth: 20th December 2007
  • Nationality: English
  • Position: Midfielder
  • Foot: Right

The young midfielder was one of ten players to sign scholarship deals earlier this year. Youth players cannot sign professional contracts until they are 17 years of age so scholarships are the standard initial step prior to signing professionally.

Thwaites played for the United U16, U18, and U21 teams last season. This year Thwaites has featured regularly for Adam Lawrence’s U18s side who have been sweeping aside everyone in the league and are currently sitting top of the table on maximum points. 

STYLE OF PLAY & ATTRIBUTES

Thwaites is a lovely footballer and has everything you want in a modern midfielder. He has superb technical ability, is composed on the ball and contributes significantly in most areas of of the pitch.

He possesses a great intelligence and awareness to his game, both in and out of possession. In possession he has tempo controlling qualities, often dictating the pace of the game. The youngster is tenacious and works incredibly hard out of possession, regularly forcing turnovers for the team. He plays with controlled aggression, balancing intensity with sound decision making.

Thwaites has great technical ability. He is effortless on the half turn, has quick footwork and good close control. His low centre of gravity allows him to quickly manoeuvre past players at pace and can he carry the ball brilliantly. The midfielder is undoubtedly one of the most press resistant players in the academy and his ability to play in tight spaces ensures the team retains possession at the right moments.

Thwaites is very comfortable with both feet, both in his passing and shooting ability. Last year he even won the Goal of the Season award at both the U16 and U18 level with strikes on his left foot. Quite an achievement and an indication of the exciting talent the youngster possesses. Thwaites’ incredible free kick technique has led to comparisons with David Beckham and he has scored some unbelievable strikes from distance. His set-piece precision is already exceptional and promises to reach even greater heights as he continues to develop. Ball striking seems to come very naturally to him and this also translates to great accuracy in his crossing ability.

 

 

His passing range is possibly his strongest attribute. He has an exceptional passing range and can orchestrate play from deep or in advanced positions. He can make precise long balls, switching play to stretch defences, and can drop pinpoint passes over the top for forwards making runs. His short passing is crisp, maintaining rhythm and controlling tempo. He excels at one-touch passing under pressure, linking play in tight spaces and will regularly display this when involved in build up. Offensively he can provide accurate through balls breaking defensive lines and playing progressive diagonal balls, bringing the full backs into play. He knows when to release the ball at the right time, always looking to quicken transitions. Thwaites will often scan his surroundings (prior to receiving a pass) and has great vision to anticipate movements and find players in attacking positions. He has even been compared to Paul Scholes in this attribute, being able to play effortless passes ensuring continuous attacking momentum for the team. The midfielder is reliably safe in possession and is super intelligent in his ball distribution across various phases of play.

Thwaites’ impressive performances have led to him being called up to training with the United first team recently. He first attended training with the senior team in August of this year, prior to the away game at Brighton. With Jack Fletcher and Jayce Fitzgerald recently promoted to the U19s and U21s, Thwaites has comfortably filled the gap left in the midfield and is already demonstrating so many high level attributes to his game.

Jim Thwaites Main Attributes

  • Technical ability
  • High Football IQ
  • Great passing range
  • Set piece specialist
  • Ball carrying
  • Press resistant
  • Ambipedal (comfortable with both feet)
  • Acceleration and Pace
  • Decision making

Thwaites also joined the squad for Ruben Amorim’s first senior training session, and with the Portuguese manager’s reputation for nurturing youth, his path to United’s first team looks promising. Fans will be paying close attention to yet another exciting academy prospect to come out of Carrington. 

 

 

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