Republic of Ireland international on trial with Manchester United

A fresh Republic of Ireland talent has landed on Manchester United’s radar.

The Red Devils’ pipeline from the Republic of Ireland runs deep, from the hard-edge standards of Roy Keane to the calm class of Denis Irwin and the old-school reliability of Tony Dunne.

Those players did not just win trophies, they helped set the tone for what “United mentality” is supposed to look like. It’s a connection the club keeps revisiting as it hunts for the next one.

Now that focus has swung to Ike Manjor.

According to Rep of Ireland Player Tracker, the Cork City defender is currently on trial with Manchester United at Carrington this week, having been spotted in a training video shared by a former Ireland international whose son is in the club’s Under-18 set-up.

The report adds that it is understood to be Ike Manjor on trial, with a number of Premier League clubs also tracking him.

The 16-year-old is regarded as a highly-rated centre-back option in Cork City’s system, and United are set to use the week to get a closer look at his physical profile and defensive fundamentals in their environment.

He signed his first professional deal with Cork City last year, a clear marker of how highly he is rated back home, playing for the youth national side.

From a recruitment perspective, it is the kind of low-risk, high-upside due diligence United have leaned into more often at academy level: bring the player into the building, stress-test him in training, then decide whether to keep monitoring, progress talks, or move on.

Any next steps would also be shaped by the broader timing of cross-border youth moves, so this week is more likely about information-gathering than a fast-tracked decision.

United have made a habit of backing talent that fits the club’s values as much as its football.

If Ike Manjor impresses, the next milestone is simple: more eyes on him, more checks completed, and a clearer path mapped out for what comes after the trial.