Jaydan Kamason's Impact in Pre-Season with Manchester United
Jaydan Kamason did not so much step onto the pitch in Trondheim as announce himself.
Thrown on at half-time at the Lerkendal Stadion, the 19-year-old Manchester United defender took the right-back slot and promptly bent the game to his will. Two crosses, two goals. Both whipped in low from the flank, both delivered with the kind of certainty that makes senior full-backs look over their shoulder.
For a youngster who spent last season wrestling with injuries, this felt like a statement.
“It was good to get the assists, obviously, but just good to play for minutes and fitness,” Kamason said afterwards. “I could have been sharper at times, but I'm happy with the two assists.” The words were measured; the performance was anything but cautious.
A season interrupted, a summer reset
Kamason’s 2024/25 campaign showcased exactly why United rate him so highly. From right-back he offered balance: aggressive in the tackle, confident on the ball, and dangerous in the final third. He “consistently” delivered quality in both attacking and defensive areas, the kind of reliability that usually takes years to grow into.
Then came the setbacks. Two injuries, both enough to stall his rhythm and halt his climb just as momentum gathered. For many teenagers, that derails a season. For some, it defines them.
Kamason has treated it as a delay, not a detour.
“Last season, I unfortunately had two injuries, but hopefully this season will be more positive,” he said. “I'm just trying to stay fit now and show my ability on the pitch.” There was no self-pity in his tone, just a clear-eyed understanding of what comes next.
Michael Carrick, overseeing a United side increasingly shaped by youth, was “delighted” with his young players after the Rosenborg win. Performances like Kamason’s explain why. This is exactly the kind of pre-season audition managers remember when the serious football starts.
Crafting a weapon from the right flank
The two assists in Norway were not a fluke. They were the product of repetition.
“I always do extra bits on that,” Kamason said of his final-third quality. “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 last line matters. “I just know what to do.” It speaks to instinct honed by hours after training, not some sudden burst of confidence. A United coach described him as having “big potential” after his youth goal at the Emirates last year; the work behind the scenes shows a player intent on turning that potential into something more concrete.
United have built title-winning sides on full-backs who can change games with delivery from wide areas. Kamason clearly understands the modern demands of the role. Win your duels. Overlap with purpose. Make your crosses count.
In Trondheim, the pressure finally told.
Eyes on Old Trafford, even if the road bends
For all the excitement around a breakout pre-season cameo, Kamason is under no illusions about the size of the step from promising teenager to Old Trafford regular.
“Yeah, hopefully,” he said when asked about a first-team breakthrough. “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.”
There is no grandstanding there, just a blunt assessment of the pathway. United’s academy has always demanded patience as well as talent. Some go straight in. Others take the scenic route. Kamason sounds prepared for either.
What is clear is that he has the club fixed as the destination, not just a launchpad.
The Binnion bridge
If Kamason does make that jump, Travis Binnion will have played a quiet but crucial role.
Formerly Under-21 manager and a key architect of the academy structure, Binnion moved into Michael Carrick’s backroom staff in January after Ruben Amorim’s sacking. His presence has given academy players a direct line into the first-team environment, someone in the senior setup who knows their game, their temperament, their story.
“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.”
That link matters. When a teenager steps off the bench in a pre-season game and immediately influences it, there is usually a coach somewhere who has been quietly pushing his case. Binnion is that figure for a generation of United youngsters. For Kamason, he is another reason to believe the gap between Carrington’s academy pitches and the Old Trafford tunnel is narrowing.
The defender’s performance against Rosenborg will not, on its own, secure him a place in United’s matchday squads when the season begins. But it does something almost as important: it ensures his name sits firmly in the conversation.
A 19-year-old right-back, finally fully fit, swinging in low crosses with conviction and talking about ambition without blinking. If this is the start of his real push, the question now is not whether Jaydan Kamason is on United’s radar — it’s how quickly the club decide he belongs on their teamsheet.
