Toby Collyer is steadily establishing himself as a player to watch during Manchester United’s pre-season.
The midfielder was a second-half substitute in United’s 1-0 defeat to Rosenborg on July 15 before playing the first half in United’s 2-0 victory over Rangers five days later. It has been a gradual process of development for the 20-year-old, who first started training with the senior team in February 2024, and was named among Erik ten Hag’s substitutes for eight matches in the 2023-24 season.
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“I always want to make pathways for young players, but they have to earn it,” the United manager said after the Rangers victory. “He’s now earned an opportunity. Today, he was in the starting XI — that’s something, and we will see how we can progress.
“Last year with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, we saw what can happen — the pathway is open for other players and Toby is there in fourth (after Garnacho, Mainoo and Willy Kambwala).”
(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Collyer — who joined United from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022 — has impressed due to his ability to retain possession in deep midfield areas. A standout moment came in the second half against Rosenborg when Rhys Bennett came onto the ball.
Collyer is aware of a defender on his back as he goes to receive Bennett’s pass, but rather than panic, he spots Harry Amass, who is making a run down the line to his right.
He then backheels the ball into space into the path of the left-back and United are away.
A moment that could have seen United lose the ball under pressure has instead been turned into an opportunity to attack.
It was a smart play from the young defensive midfielder, but such flourishes are not his bread and butter.
Collyer is a calm operator on the ball, favouring safe, short passes either sideways or backwards, while showing himself capable of occasional long switch passes. He is also skilled at receiving the ball on the half turn, letting passes come across his body before swinging his hips around to protect the ball from opponents looking to pressure him.
Collyer is potentially a press-resistant midfielder who could sit in the pivot of Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 and be trusted to hold onto the ball when United are building from the back.
Tall, strong and with a good sense of how to delay opposition counter-attacks, there are moments where his play can resemble Declan Rice when he broke into West Ham United’s first-team squad.
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Out of possession, Collyer has shown promise when patrolling large areas. What is most impressive about his defensive play is his understanding of where and when to make runs back towards his goal to help the team.
Athletically gifted, Collyer can cover 20-30 yards quickly — but rather than sprint around with wild abandon in search of the ball, Collyer works to disrupt easy passes inside the opposition half.
Collyer’s defensive work centres on blocking off the more obvious passes opponents can make before looking to intercept the ball for his team.
On more than one occasion against Rosenborg, Collyer could be seen stopping a cutback cross in the final third.
In smaller defensive situations, he works best as part of a collective pressing unit rather than a single pivot racking up recoveries. Against Rosenborg and Rangers, he preferred to wait for opponents to take a heavy touch or make a wonky pass before putting a foot in. Collyer is not one to battle in 40-60 contests for the ball, but he is good at positioning himself so that if the ball is lost, the opposition team cannot quickly play through the lines.
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Solid in the air — previous player profiles had him listed at 5ft 9in (175cm), but a recent growth spurt means he now stands closer to 6ft 1in (185cm) — Collyer possesses the raw tools needed to become a capable defensive midfielder. The question becomes whether he can impose himself against strong opposition to allow his team to control games.
His relative lack of progressive passing means a potential midfield partnership with Mainoo would need help from Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Andre Onana to help move the ball up the pitch. Collyer is still to show what he can offer as a ball-carrier to United at a senior team level. This pre-season represents a chance for him to properly demonstrate as many of those skills as possible in a controlled environment.
This season, the club are likely to retain him beyond the summer tour, rather than look to loan him to another club. This month, Ten Hag made a point of being present for Collyer’s latest contract signing — one that will run until 2027, with the option of an additional year.
Collyer was named on the bench for several first-team fixtures last season (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
The United manager also gave Collyer the captain’s armband for the second half against Rosenborg — a show of faith in the young man’s talents. The opportunity is there for the midfielder to earn more games as the tour heads to the United States and establish himself as an option in midfield, deputising for Casemiro or any incoming player. Matches against Arsenal, Real Betis and Liverpool will give relevant parties a better grasp of Collyer’s skill set and what comes next.
Either way, he is likely to feature in the first-team picture for a while longer and could make the bench for the Community Shield game at Wembley against Manchester City on August 10.
Collyer has been one to watch during pre-season — and might be heading for a breakout season.
(Top photo: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Carl Anka is a journalist covering Manchester United for The Athletic. Follow Carl on Twitter @Ankaman616
