What now for James Wilson? Man Utd's forgotten next big star

Ryan Giggs says James Wilson is "a natural goalscorer, but he has more to his game than that," while Nicky Butt reckons he is "unbelievable in the six-yard box." It is fair to say that the striker comes highly recommended by Manchester United legends who remain influential at Old Trafford due to their prominent positions on the coaching staff.

They even gave him his first-team debut back in 2014 when Giggs was in temporary charge after David Moyes' sacking, and Wilson responded by netting twice against Hull City. Butt was one of the old pals the Welshman called upon to assist him as caretaker boss, and he told Giggs ahead of Wilson's debut that the front man "has got the best standing spring you’ve ever seen in your life."

Yet little more than 12 months on, Wilson is finding life tough under Louis van Gaal. Having watched Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao leave the club over the summer, the 19-year-old might have expected to see more first-team opportunities fall his way. So far, though, he has not made a single 18-man squad this season after nine matches, and the arrival of Anthony Martial from Monaco has only made his future more uncertain.

Paul Scholes was another star name in Giggs' support team back in 2014, but while he too has also spoken highly of Wilson in the past, he warned in April that the youngster hadn't done enough to show he can be a United regular.

"James Wilson has been given a number of chances this season and, although he has done well, at no point has he made it impossible for Louis van Gaal to leave him out," Scholes told The Independent.

Many believed he would finally be given a run-out in Wednesday night's Capital One Cup clash with Ipswich Town at Old Trafford, but Van Gaal confirmed to MUTV on Tuesday that Wilson and Jesse Lingard will not be in his squad against Mick McCarthy's side after playing for the club's under-21s on Monday.

"On Tuesday they have a recovery day and Wednesday is also more of a recovery day. But I don't need them so they have a day off, and Thursday they are again fresh and they can train with the substitutes," explained the Dutchman.

It is likely to come as a bitter blow to the player himself as well as the fans with whom the League Cup has become a window to the future in recent years. Under Sir Alex Ferguson the competition was so often used as the final test phase for the United stars of tomorrow, but Wilson's is a tale which speaks of an apparent shift in philosophy under Van Gaal.

While the 64-year-old has spoken often of his belief in a strong youth academy, he has already loaned out fringe players Tyler Blackett and Adnan Januzaj this summer. Wilson, who featured heavily in United's pre-season USA tour and set up Lingard's strike against Barcelona in Santa Clara, was himself on the verge of a season-long move to Derby County before they decided to hold onto the striker last week. In total, 14 Championship clubs had enquired about the striker's availability.

Tellingly, when Van Gaal spoke in early September of constructing a forward line for the future, it was new signing Anthony Martial rather than Wilson he saw as the youngster on whom the club should pin their hopes in the longer term.

"Yes I spent a lot of money on Martial, but I bought him for my successor: Ryan Giggs," he exclaimed at a question and answer session with fans.

And the quick transition of the Frenchman has certainly given early justification for his £36 million transfer fee which could eventually rise to £58.7m. But with every such move in the market, the life is being squeezed out of United’s previously blossoming production line of talent.

So what now for Wilson? In Monday's 3-1 U-21 Premier League win over Everton, he was in excellent form. Within 22 minutes he had a well-taken goal and a clever assist under his belt, but rather than being withdrawn early to save him for a big date with Ipswich he was left on to see out the full 90 minutes.

It is exactly eight months since Wilson last started a game for Manchester United, in a 0-0 draw against Cambridge in the FA Cup, while his 17-minute substitute appearance against Hull in May was his last sight of a first-team shirt.

Ipswich was marked on many a calendar as the chance for James Wilson to show his United pedigree, but it seems that another opportunity is going to be denied him. If not now, then when?

The fear has to be that Wilson's story will become the latest example of United's new-found reluctance to give the kids a chance. This isn't the United way.