Who is James Overy? Manchester United starlet could get shock World Cup call | OneFootball

Red Devils starlet yet to make senior Old Trafford debut but has been fast-tracked at international level

Manchester United youngster James Overy could find himself in the unusual position of appearing at a World Cup before he has even made his senior debut for the club.

The 18-year-old right-back has impressed at youth level since arriving at Old Trafford last year despite a long-term Achilles injury that sidelined him for eight months, but is yet to be handed a maiden first-team outing by head coach Ruben Amorim despite stepping up in training several times already at Carrington.

That has not stopped Overy from progressing quickly on the international scene, having been handed his first senior call-up by Australia as part of an experimental squad for their upcoming friendly double-header in the United States against South American opposition in the form of Venezuela and Colombia.

Socceroos boss Tony Popovic, the former Crystal Palace defender, is open to picking the teenager in his squad for next summer’s World Cup finals in North America after Overy made a significant impression during the recent Under-20 tournament in Chile, where Australia failed to reach the knockout stages after placing third in their group behind eventual finalists Argentina, and Italy.

“He's worth having a look at,” Popovic said this week. “I'm very open-minded about what that looks like for the immediate future and long term.

“Watching him closely in Chile, I was impressed. We have good contacts at Man U, so we know what he’s doing at training, we know how much he trains, how much he trains with the first team.

“He’s getting games with the under-18s, the under-21s, and he's in the process where he's getting called up (to first-team training) a lot more often.”

Australia qualified for their sixth successive World Cup finals back in June following a 2-1 comeback win away in Saudi Arabia, having improved considerably under Popovic following the shock resignation of former head coach Graham Arnold last year.

A World Cup call-up would cap a remarkably swift rise for Overy, who began his career in Australia with Perth Glory and featured in a friendly against West Ham before relocating to the UK with his family and playing for Devon-based non-league side Newton Abbot Spurs.

He joined United’s academy in May 2024 on an initial scholarship basis and later signed his first professional contract this summer. Overy - born in Australia - is also eligible to represent Scotland at international level and previously played for their U19s before a switch of allegiance.