Blackpool have secured the signing of former Manchester United talent Demetri Mitchell.
Mitchell can play at left-back or on the left-wing and has signed a two-year contract with the League One club.
An option to extend his stay by a further year has been included in the deal.
Blackpool Sign Demetri Mitchell
✍️ We are pleased to announce the signing of Demetri Mitchell on a two year deal with the Club holding an option to extend by a further year!
➡️ https://t.co/1vwOjWB0e0 pic.twitter.com/dk77uG6Nsh
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) September 4, 2020
Given Senior Debut by Jose Mourinho
He arrives following a successful trial with the club, where he featured in their pre-season friendlies against Everton and Blackburn Rovers.
Mitchell’s contract at Manchester United expired this summer.
He made one single senior appearance during his time at Old Trafford. Jose Mourinho gave him his full debut in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the final league game of the 2016/17 season.
In a game he’ll never forget, Demetri showed promise and was popular with the United faithful.
Mitchell received the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award in 2017/18, an award promising Dutch winger Tahith Chong picked up the following season.
Mixed Spells in Scotland
However, since then, he’s had two loan spells with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. A lot of his time in Scotland went well, but it started to go wrong towards the end and he suffered a season-ending injury in early 2019. As a result, he hasn’t played competitive senior football since February 2019.
As it happens, both of his loan spells with Hearts were ended by injury. He cited ‘Unfinished business’ as his reason for returning for a second spell.
Before his injury, he had disappointed then-manager Craig Levein by getting a second yellow card against Aberdeen, causing a needless suspension. He was subsequently dropped and then the injury came about a few games later.
Mitchell, 23, hasn’t had much in the way of luck, he will be hoping his fortunes take a turn with this move to Blackpool.
Excited to Get Going
“I’m excited to be here and looking forward to getting started,” Mitchell told Blackpool’s club website.
“Having spent the past few weeks with the club during pre-season, I get the sense this is a good club to be at. There’s a strong togetherness in the squad and you can feel that.
“I’m looking forward to the future here and can’t wait to see what’s to come.”
Next Step in His Career
“Demetri made a great impression both on and off the pitch during his short spell with us and we’re delighted that he has decided to join us permanently,” head coach Neil Critchley said.
“He has demonstrated to us that he can fit into the style of play we are trying to install at the club, and we feel he will be a really good addition to the squad.
“Coming through the academy at Manchester United, we feel this is the next step in his career, and we’re excited to see what he can bring to the team.”
Main Photo
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