Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was full of praise for Brandon Williams following his full Premier League debut against Brighton at the weekend.

Despite making a good impression, though, the Red Devils boss may be tempted to put Ashley Young back in following his suspension, or even Luke Shaw if he is available again after the international break.

However, there are a number of reasons why Solskjaer would be wise to give Williams an extended run in the team:

1) Dribbling Skills And Direct Runs

Williams averages 3.53 dribbles per 90 minutes, which is higher than Young (2.12) and Shaw (1.21). He isn’t running into cul-de-sacs either as he retaining possession 75% of the time which is a seriously good number.

These direct runs can commit defenders, and when you are coming up against teams who sit deep, this can offer a lot more opportunities to open up the defence.

2) Tackling

Despite being excellent in possession, Williams isn’t one to shirk his defensive responsibilities either. He averages 1.59 tackles per game, which is more in line with the numbers that Aaron Wan-Bissaka chalks up on the opposing flank.

Of course, it is important to know when to put your foot in, and he will learn through experience, but it is good to see that he is a proactive defender.

3) Creativity

Despite only having played 400 minutes for the first team this season, Williams is the only one of the fullbacks to have an assist to his name. Young and Shaw are yet to be involved in a goal, and while the stats suggest Young does create more chances with an expected assist (xA) figure of 1.38, we will need to see how creative the 19-year-old is over an extended run in the team.

4) Use of the ball

Williams rarely gives the ball away, and he has a pass completion of 88%, higher than both his rivals for the left-back role. It shows that he has the technical ability to play at the top level.

He does need to improve on the number of key passes and through balls he makes, but that may come with more time in the first-team setup.

5) Youthful exuberance

The teenager could provide some much-needed energy on the flanks which neither Shaw nor Young can provide. Getting up and down the length of the pitch is increasingly important for a full back and Williams is more than able to put in a shift.

Combined with his dribbling skills, it makes him an unpredictable player, which could give an extra dimension to United’s attack which has been decidedly lacklustre so far this season.