Blackett was sent off at Leicester and will miss the game with West Ham

The 20-year-old defender has just signed his first

Football can be a wretchedly knee-jerk place sometimes. Only 10 days ago, when Manchester United appeared to be on an upward curve, young Tyler Blackett, so composed in the victory over QPR, was hailed as the thoroughbred colt flying up on the rails to resolve Louis van Gaal's defensive malaise.

One week later, after Manchester United's defensive capitulation at Leicester City - United conceded four goals in 21 minutes and Blackett was sent off in a 5-3 defeat - the defender was pitied as an over-exposed rookie.

The reality for this young footballer most probably lies somewhere in between. Those who have worked closely with the defender truly believe that Blackett will train on, given time and opportunities.

Tyler Blackett has broken into the first team at Manchester United this season

Blackett (third from left) playing football during his childhood before joining Manchester United

Blackett (bottom row in red tracksuit bottoms) celebrates winning a trophy with Fletcher Moss Rangers

Blackett (back row, third from right) had success with Fletcher Moss Rangers as an eight-year-old

At United, they are wary of making long-term predictions but they see a tall, athletic and pacy defender of significant potential. That Blackett is a left-footed centre half - confident in possession - only adds to the appeal. It is why England scouts will be monitoring his progress closely in the lead-up to Euro 2016.

Blackett is undoubtedly improving and some of the snap judgements that have followed his performance at Leicester betray the work ethic and qualities that have so impressed the coaching staff at United in the past six months.

His dedication and professionalism have been impeccable. On Tuesday, United players were granted a day off but still Blackett came in, determined to push himself, picking over his performances and organising an extra session in the gym.

Blackett does not miss a chance to place himself ahead of his defensive rivals. Last week, the squad went out in Manchester city centre for an organised bonding meal, aimed at uniting the raft of new signings that have arrived this summer.

Blackett has been promoted to the first team at Manchester United by Louis van Gaal

Blackett has shown his dedication to his career by training on his days off

The following day had been scheduled as a free but there Blackett was once more, using everything United's hi-tech training ground can offer to further his game.

It is not only his attitude that has struck Van Gaal and his close-knit team of advisers. For a defender, the goals against column is the ultimate measure of success, but coaches have been lifted by Blackett's distribution. At home to QPR, 97.9 per cent of Blackett's 97 passes were successful, a better record than any other United player on the day.

Even in defeat against Swansea and catastrophe against Leicester, Blackett's passing hit the right notes, extending beyond the 90 per cent mark in both games. It should also be noted that Blackett was not one of those involved in the humiliation at MK Dons.

Blackett was sent off after he brought down Leicester's Jamie Vardy in the 5-3 defeat

We cannot airbrush the Leicester debacle from the scrapbook, but the one-match suspension against West Ham this weekend and the chance to come up for some air will do Blackett some good.

There has been enormous pressure on the broad shoulders of the 20-year-old defender, who had not played a minute of competitive football for Manchester United before this campaign.

He has now played 443 minutes and is only the defender to have started every game under Van Gaal. At the end of this season, Blackett's contract will expire.

United, you would assume, will be looking to tie him down sooner rather than later, especially as uncertainty lingers over the club's desire to stay faithful to their roots and hand opportunities to local talent.

On Sunday evening, when he lay down on his pillow with a whirlwind of thoughts swirling around his young mind, he will have been reassured by the presence of his loved ones.

Blackett got his first taste of first team experience on loan at Blackpool last season

The young defender was also sent on loan to Birmingham in the second half of the season

In the inner city district of Hulme, Blackett still lives with his parents, who were this week described to Sportsmail in the most glowing terms: 'They are incredibly supportive and offer sensible advice,' said a source close to the family.

Tyler Blackett's stats this season (via Opta)

'They are there at every single game and they are still in that wonderland as they realise their son is playing regularly for Manchester United. Can you imagine the pride they must be feeling?'

Blackett's development has been quite remarkable. Only six months ago, he was cutting his teeth at the coalface in the Championship. Away from the sanitised environment of academy football, it was at times a brutal induction under Lee Clark at Birmingham City.

His final appearance lasted only 45 minutes, as Blackett was withdrawn at half-time with Birmingham trailing 4-0 at home to Blackburn. Five weeks earlier, he was replaced after 23 minutes when Birmingham went 2-0 down to Sheffield Wednesday.

Blackett's family have been a constant source of support, first cheering on their boy as a five-year-old with the local youth team Fletcher Moss Rangers.

'They'd be there every single weekend, in rain, wind or hailstorms,' says Tony Taylor, who coached Blackett in those tender years between five and nine, 'That's important. We could tell that Tyler was gifted from his very first sessions. At five years old, he was a stand-out player. He was strong, quick and technically excellent from a very young age.'

Way back when, Blackett was a goalscoring winger, which perhaps goes some way to explaining his authority in possession. 'He was a tricky and skilful wide player,' Taylor continues, 'Maybe because he was tall and powerful, United saw his potential as a defender.'

Blackett has progressed through the youth teams at Manchester United and into the first team

Fletcher Moss is one of the success stories in an era when youth football is increasingly threatened by depleted resources, below-par facilities and the disinterest of the PlayStation generation. The club, established in the 1980s after a group of eager teens went bucket in hand pleading for donations at the local pub, has produced a series of England internationals.

Wes Brown, Danny Welbeck, Ravel Morrison, Ipswich's Cameron Stewart and Swansea's Kyle Bartley are all graduates of the Fletcher Moss academy, positioned near to Wythenshawe, one of Greater Manchester's more socially deprived districts.

Blackett's family still reside only a stone's throw away. 'He comes back to see the coaches quite often,' Taylor reveals, 'He spends time talking with the younger kids and he comes in to help coaching them.'

Manchester-born Blackett has been at United since he was seven

Both Louis van Gaal and England coach Gary Neville have been impressed by what they have seen in Blackett

Blackett speaks with Manchester United U21 manager Warren Joyce - who is one of his mentors

The defender's level-headed approach is admirable. His parents must take much of the credit. So too must the United academy, where Blackett first trained at the age of seven.

United are sensible at youth level, operating within more modest means than several of their direct Premier League rivals. Money, United believe, can be a distraction, a complication and counter-productive to a player's development.

A club source explained: 'They have good habits here. If you give them £20,000-a-week at a young age, then it could be the biggest contract they ever get.

'The lifestyle changes and the money soon runs out. They get the flash cars, the best clothes, the best food but then they may do the least work. We are giving them life skills and producing strong characters that want to work more and do more. Then the money will look after itself.'

Blackett has represented England at U16 level through to U21s but qualifies to play for Barbados and Jamaica

This month, Blackett's emergence attracted interest from sportswear manufacturers Nike and he last week signed a commercial deal in London.

This was another of those 'days off', a term which does not really exist in his vocabulary. Again, Blackett scheduled an individual session at Carrington before heading down to the capital.

Senior figures at Old Trafford reassure Blackett constantly. Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt, now major figures on the coaching staff at Manchester United, are part of the fabric and a valuable source of advice. Gary Neville has offered his backing face-to-face. Reserve-team manager Warren Joyce is a personal mentor to many of the club's rising stars.

And despite some teething problems, Blackett's star is shining brighter than most at Old Trafford.

Like our Manchester United Facebook page.