Ayden Heaven


Ayden Edford Heaven is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United.
Heaven played in the youth academies of West Ham United and Arsenal. He made one first-team appearance for Arsenal before joining Manchester United in February 2025. Heaven has played youth international football for England up to under-20 football team|under-20] level.

Club career

Arsenal

Heaven joined the academy at West Ham United when he was eight years old, where he stayed for four years. After a trial with Chelsea, he joined the academy system at Arsenal at the age of 13 in 2019, the club he had supported since childhood. He signed a scholarship contract with Arsenal in the summer of 2023. He trained with the Arsenal first-team squad on occasion during the 2023–24 season.
Heaven was heavily involved with Arsenal first-team training during the 2024 summer pre-season, and was one of three youngsters, along with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, individually praised by manager Mikel Arteta in August 2024. The following month, he was included amongst the match-day substitutes for the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. He made his Arsenal debut on 30 October 2024, away at Preston North End in the EFL Cup, helping Arsenal win 3–0.

Manchester United

On 1 February 2025, Heaven joined Manchester United for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with an option for an extra year. He made his first-team debut coming on as a substitute against Fulham in the 2024–25 FA Cup fifth round. On 9 March, in the Premier League, he debuted for Manchester United against Arsenal. He came on as a second-half substitute, replacing Leny Yoro. He made his first start for Manchester United on 13 March 2025, in the Europa League round of 16 match against Real Sociedad.
On 16 March 2025, he made his first Premier League start in an away match against Leicester City. On 25 October 2025, Heaven assisted his first goal in professional football, playing a pass to Bryan Mbeumo, who scored the final goal in a 4–2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, sealing United’s third consecutive win in the league. He won his first Premier League Player of the Match award on 26 December 2025, helping the club keep a clean sheet in a 1–0 win over Newcastle United.

International career

Heaven has played youth international football for England at under-18 football team|under-18], under-19 football team|under-19] and under-20 levels. He is also eligible to represent Ghana at international level.
In May 2024, Heaven made his debut for the England under-18 team against Northern Ireland. On 5 September 2025, Heaven made his England under-20 debut during a 2–1 defeat to Italy at the SMH Group Stadium.

Style of play

A naturally left-footed defender, Heaven has been deployed on the left of Manchester United's three-man backline where he has been able to display his channel defending and capability on the ball.

Personal life

Born in London, he is of Ghanaian descent through a grandparent.

Honours

Manchester United