He is now being lined up as the next Kobbie Mainoo, his former FA Youth Cup midfield partner. Just like Mainoo spent last season training with the first team, Gore is a regular in first team sessions, as he looks to work his way up the pecking order.

Gore is a tenacious, hard working midfielder with quality on the ball too. He starred in pre-season against Lyon, and won the won the Jimmy Murphy young player of the year award.

Gore has earned high praise

Gore has already earned comparisons with a United legend. His former youth team coach at Burnley, Lewis Craig, told the MEN: “He’s captain material I’d say. Almost like your old-school Roy Keane type with hard challenges, but he’s got unbelievable quality on the ball because he was a forward in the past as well.”

Gore’s quality on the ball stood out earlier this season in the under-21 side when he scored a sensational solo goal his teammates compared to Lionel Messi.

His pre-season performances earned praise from Denis Irwin, who said he was the kind of player Bryan Robson would admire highly. Irwin told MUTV: “He’s Robbo’s type of player. Aggressive, on the front foot, created the goal. It’s good to see players coming through like this. He would have caught the manager’s eye.”

Coaches’ approval

Erik ten Hag insisted this year that Gore earned his debut, and it was not a token gesture for him. He said: “I’m not a coach who gives opportunities to players [for no reason], they have to earn it. Once they earn it, they have their chance.

He also challenged Gore to keep on pushing, adding: “They have to earn it every day in training. I don’tand opportunities to young players. They must consistently prove their worth in training because if they don’t, it can affect the team.”

According to academy coach Travis Binnion, Gore is now officially regarded internally as a first team player.

He told The United Stand: “The likes of Dan Gore and Radek Vitek, they aren’t academy players anymore. They’ve been with the first team, for six months, 12 months, they might play some games for the under-21s because they need to play games, but they are not with us.”

Binnion added: “Dan Gore is aspiring to be a Kobbie, a genuine first team member who is in every squad now.”

Loan move possible

The first part of a big 2024 for Dan Gore could involve a loan move, with the Manchester Evening News reporting Preston North End are interested.

This could be a great opportunity for Gore to embrace Championship football like Hannibal and Amad did last season. Gore’s game is well-suited and we would expect him to thrive.

Gore would then return to pre-season at Manchester United and look to kick on again, and take advantage of some potential sales, creating first team opportunities.

It’s possible United could involve Gore in the FA Cup against Wigan before agreeing a loan exit, while he could step up with Hannibal and Sofyan Amrabat set to head to the African Cup of Nations.

• Full name: Dan Gore
• Nationality: English
• Date of birth: 26 September 2004
• Age: 19
• Nationality: English
• Position: Midfield