Jaydan Kamason Shines in Pre-Season with Two Assists

Jaydan Kamason walked out at the Lerkendal Stadion on Friday night with little fanfare and a point to prove. Forty-five minutes later, the 19-year-old right-back had turned a routine pre-season outing into a loud reminder that Manchester United’s academy conveyor belt is still very much in motion.

Thrown on at half-time against Rosenborg, Kamason didn’t ease his way into the game. He attacked it. Twice he surged down the right, twice he picked his moment, and twice he delivered low, accurate crosses that were finished off in the box. Two assists, both from the kind of delivery United’s staff have been quietly raving about for the last year.

Michael Carrick left Norway talking up his young players, “delighted” with how they had handled the occasion. Kamason was central to that praise.

For the teenager, it felt like a release. Last season had promised a breakout, only for two injuries to slice through his rhythm and stall his rise. Before that, his 2024/25 campaign had been a statement: consistent quality from right-back, aggressive in the tackle, adventurous in the final third. The sort of all-round full-back modern managers crave.

Now, fully fit again, he sounds like someone who knows exactly what he wants.

“Good, thank you,” he said, underplaying the performance when asked how he felt after setting up both goals. “It was good to get the assists, obviously, but just good to play for minutes and fitness. I could have been sharper at times, but I'm happy with the two assists.”

That blend of satisfaction and self-critique is typical of him. The numbers caught the eye in Trondheim; the mindset is what keeps coaches invested.

“Last season, I unfortunately had two injuries, but hopefully this season will be more positive,” he added. “I'm just trying to stay fit now and show my ability on the pitch.”

The ambition is not subtle. Kamason wants Old Trafford, not just the Lerkendal.

When the conversation turned to a first-team breakthrough, he didn’t dodge it. “Yeah, hopefully. I'm always trying to aspire to get to that level. If I need a few loans or whatever, we'll have to see, but obviously, I'm trying to get to that top level, and that's Man United. You just have to be ambitious.”

United’s staff have been clear for some time that there is something there. A coach described him as having “big potential” after his eye-catching youth goal at the Emirates last year, a moment that underlined his ability to time his runs and finish with composure under pressure.

Potential alone doesn’t carry a player from the academy pitches to Carrington’s first-team building. Kamason knows that, which is why he lingers after training, working on the detail that separates a promising full-back from a decisive one.

“I always do extra bits on that,” he said of his work in the final third. “Especially with the low crosses, because the low crosses are very effective. But it is just about getting into those positions.

“Once you get into those positions, you have the chance to get it into the box. That's what I want. It's just timing my movement, getting into those positions, then once I get in there, I just know what to do.”

That clarity of thought is mirrored in the structure around him. The pathway from academy to first team has been tightened by the presence of Travis Binnion in Carrick’s backroom staff. Formerly the Under-21 manager, Binnion stepped up to help the senior side in January after Ruben Amorim’s sacking, bringing with him an intimate knowledge of United’s next generation.

For players like Kamason, that link is gold.

“Travis is a top person and top coach,” Kamason said. “It is good to have him around the first team because obviously he knows all the academy lads.

“He's a great link between the academy and the first team, so it is good to have him around, and hopefully he can continue to help me.”

The ingredients are there: a modern full-back with end product, a rebuilt body after a bruising injury spell, a clear route to the senior dressing room, and a manager prepared to trust youth on merit, not reputation.

Pre-season can flatter. It can deceive. But it also offers a stage. In Trondheim, with two low crosses and a performance that crackled with intent, Jaydan Kamason stepped into the light and made his intentions brutally clear: he doesn’t just want to be the next name off United’s academy line. He wants to stay there.