Angelo Henriquez shouldn't have made Man United move, says Chile boss

Angelo Henriquez has made a big mistake in signing for Manchester United, according to his national team coach Fernando Carvallo.

Tough task: Angelo Henriquez at Manchester United

Henriquez agreed terms on a deal with United last month, after Sir Alex Ferguson managed to fend off interest from rivals Manchester City for the striker, known for his clinical finishing.

But the transfer was only formally completed a few days ago, after Henriquez was forced to wait on the paperwork for his successful work permit application, which delayed his switch from Universidad de Chile.

As such, Henriquez is currently behind on fitness compared to his United team-mates, and the 18-year-old's already limited first-team chances now look even further away.

The news has come as a worry to Henriquez's national team boss, with Chile Under-23 coach Carvallo believing his star striker has moved to Europe too early.

'Angelo Henriquez won't get many opportunities at Manchester United. It would have been better for him to continue growing at Universidad,' Carvallo told reporters.

'It's an advantage to have players in Europe, but the acceleration of their growth process does suffer. In Chile a lot of them were regulars for their teams, but over there they aren't really under consideration.'

Henriquez is expected to spend most of his first season mixing between United's Capital One Cup squad and the Under-21 side, that will compete in the newly revamped Under-21 Premier League competition.

It will be a contrast from what he's used to, with Henriquez formally known a first-team star, after scoring 11 goals in 17 matches for Universidad earlier this season.