The Red Devils manager has included the 18-year-old forward among the substitutes in recent games with striker Benjamin Sesko out injured, while continuing the club's long held tradition of having an academy graduate in every matchday squad since 1937.

Asked about how he's preparing Lacey for the first team, Amorim told the press: "Try to explain every day how to play.

"If you're comfortable and don't have any doubts when you are playing that will help the kids.

"Then to work on the physicality, the speed of the pressure, the moments to have the ball and pass the ball [because that] is completely different to the under-21s.

"He'll have the chance, I don't know, but he's ready to play."

United's head of player development Travis Binnion has pointed out how getting the chance to train with the senior squad is "massive" for the youngster.

He told the club's Inside Carrington series: "Training with first team is massive. Shea is going through a period now where that is more important than games.

"The previous month, the games were important to get that body of matches and build his confidence."

United's record of having a homegrown player in every squad stretches over 4,000 consecutive games in all competitions, going back to Tom Manley and Jack Wassall's involvement against Fulham in 1937.

Kobbie Mainoo had been keeping that 88-year run going before suffering a minor injury in November, but Amorim selected Jack Fletcher for the 4,333rd match, and he is determined to not be the one to break the record.

He told TNT Sports: "There is something special in our club which has to be bullet proof. The way we behave, the way we feel [about] the club.

"We are not going to stop with academy players. It doesn't matter about the result. We will continue with these small details which are the foundations of our club."