Man Utd wonderkid who was banished to reserves after manager bust-up agrees transfer move

A former Manchester United starlet has moved to a new team after being banished to the reserves at his previous club. Zidane Iqbal, who came through the club's academy, holds the honour of being the first British South Asian to represent the Red Devils at senior level. He showed glimpses of promise during his time at Old Trafford but never made it as a regular member of the first-team squad.

Iqbal moved to Utrecht in the summer of 2023, initially representing their youth side before making the step up to the senior group. He made 49 appearances for the Dutch outfit, scoring once, but it wasn't all smooth sailing during his time there. Towards the end of last year, the Iraq international was demoted to the reserves as a disciplinary measure.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Get Manchester United FC news, fixtures, results and transfer gossip plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

The young playmaker eventually returned to action and played in two of Utrecht's four league games this season before securing a move away on Thursday.

He signed for Dundee United on the final day of the Scottish transfer window, penning a two-year deal with the option to extend his contract by an additional 12 months.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Head coach Jim Goodwin said: "I’m delighted to welcome Zidane to the football club. He has real pedigree and is off the back of a successful World Cup with Iraq, where he featured in every one of their group stage games.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

"We feel he adds something different and can occupy different positions within our midfield ranks. We’re all delighted he has chosen to join Dundee United and look forward to welcoming him to the city."

Iqbal made his first-team debut for Manchester United in 2021 in the Champions League against Young Boys, under the stewardship of Ralf Rangnick. However, his development appeared to hit a roadblock under Erik ten Hag.

He felt the fury of the former Red Devils manager in one particular training session, with Ten Hag heard shouting: "Keep the ball on the floor... Zidane! Hey! Keep the ball! F***ing rubbish!"

Iqbal later claimed that he felt he wasn't given a fair shot by Ten Hag, which led him to seek a move away from Old Trafford.

In an interview with The National, he said: "I just wanted 10 minutes off the bench to show myself and it really frustrated me that the gaffer didn't seem to rate me enough to give me a chance to show if I could sink or swim.

"I spoke to my dad and agent and said: 'I can't do this for another year'. From the outside, it looked amazing to all my friends because I was training and travelling with United's first team.

"But for me, it was mentally tough because I was just training and not allowed to play with the under-23s. I thought to myself: 'I'm just like a number'."

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

Click here to read article