12 years later: Osula completes remarkable ‘United’ full circle

Manchester United FC has a habit of producing fan-pleasing footballing symmetry. Think Scholes’ scoring return in 2012; Ronaldo doing the same in 2021; or late-goal specialist Solskjaer taking over in the dugout and having a similar effect. For William Osula, however, it was of a different variety, one that punished the Red Devils’ faithful, as he delivered a moment that seemed almost scripted.

Twelve years after winning a Manchester United youth competition on the same pitch, the Denmark Under-21 forward turned up to score a stunning last-minute winner against the club that once celebrated his talent.

Osula’s journey from United to United

In 2014, the Danish forward won Manchester United’s Soccer School World Skills Final, a youth competition designed to showcase the technical ability of young players from around the world. It was a small but memorable moment tied to one of football’s most famous clubs.

Few watching that day would have imagined how the story would evolve.

On Wednesday night, Osula scored a spectacular 90th-minute winner for Newcastle in a 2-1 victory over United on Tyneside. The Denmark Under-21 striker came off the bench, for a team down to 10 men for the whole of second half, and produced a moment of individual brilliance that sealed the game and delivered arguably the most dramatic finishes of the Premier League week.

The goal was quintessential Osula

Manager Eddie Howe has long accepted that Newcastle are often at their most dangerous when games become chaotic, and few players embody that unpredictability more than the Danish forward. At times he appears to me to be unsure what he’s going to do next. For defenders, that uncertainty can be even worse. Here it produced a moment Newcastle supporters will remember for a long time, as the scenes after the game made clear.

Osula, initially working hard to win possession back, then scampered onto a long pass down the right. He refused to let it run out of play and drove forward as the seconds ticked away. After almost falling over, he cut inside Tyrell Malacia, before bending a superb shot beyond goalkeeper Senne Lammens and into the far corner. It was the kind of goal that briefly freezes a stadium before the noise erupts.

Watch for yourself...

“Will’s delivered an amazing moment for the supporters here,” Howe said. “Let’s hope it’s a big moment for him.”

The result also ended Manchester United’s unbeaten start under interim manager Michael Carrick, who admitted his side had been second best.

“I’m bitterly disappointed,” Carrick said. “We can’t make excuses. Newcastle deserved to win.”

For Osula, however, the significance stretched well beyond the final whistle. Twelve years earlier he had celebrated success connected to Manchester United as a teenager. On this night he celebrated again... only this time it was at their expense.

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