HE is an understudy who has spent years waiting patiently in the wings while those at the Theatre of Dreams take centre stage.

But now Liam Grimshaw has sampled what it is like to play a starring role in a top flight production, the Manchester United starlet is desperate to hang around for the final act in Motherwell’s season.

The 20-year-old, who has been the Old Trafford club’s reserve captain, has flourished after arriving at Fir Park back in the final few minutes on transfer deadline day.

Like many of his contemporaries, Grimshaw had no experience of first-team action during a football apprenticeship that saw him regularly feature in the Red Devils’ reserve ranks.

But since rocking up in Lanarkshire back at the start of September, the Burnley-born midfielder has made nine appearances in claret and amber, predominantly featuring in a central role as well as a brief stint at full-back.

It is an education on a steep learning curve, especially when he is due to return to United in January for what will be the last few months of his current deal.

But rather than disappear back into the shadows at Old Trafford, Grimshaw has revealed to SportTimes he wants to hang around to see how Motherwell’s Ladbrokes Premiership campaign plays out over the rest of the season.

“I’d definitely like to stay," he said.

“There’s been no discussions about staying longer yet and obviously we’ll need to have discussion just before the time, but I’m really happy up here.

“I’m training and playing, the lads are great, the management are brilliant and I want to hang about.”

Grimshaw added: “It has been a big eye-opener for me if I’m being honest. Before I came up here I hadn’t played any first-team football.

“I’ve played a few games now and I feel I’m growing more and more into it every week. It’s all about learning, working hard in training and trying to improve. It’s a steep learning curve.

“My contract is up with Manchester United at the end of the season so it’s a big year for me.

“There’s only so long you can play reserve team games. There’s some good players in them but compared to tempo and atmosphere here, well it’s completely different.”

Anyone who has seen him in action for Motherwell would be keen for him to do so. After all, you don’t become the reserve captain of one of the world’s biggest clubs if you don’t have something about you.

We have seen elsewhere in Scotland players like Jason Denayer at Celtic from Manchester City and even last season with Everton’s Conor Grant at Motherwell that going from the subdued surroundings of reserve team football to playing in the top flight can be a jolt to the system.

While playing against more experienced players will play a part in that, arguably the biggest culture shock is dealing with the pressure of supporters in the stands.

It is a fact Grimshaw appreciates. Despite being at one of the world’s richest clubs, the humble Lancashire lad spoke with maturity about how important a club like Motherwell is to the community, a fact emphasised before Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Inverness when the squad wore ‘Save our Steel’ t-shirts, a nod to the impending closure of the Tata plant in the town.

“There are fans coming here who have been working all week and they want to see a good team,” said Grimshaw. “There’s not a lot money going about these days, there are jobs being threatened at the steel works which isn’t good, but they still keep coming out.

“That puts pressure on us to perform and give them something to smile about. That’s so different from a reserve team game where you’re disappointed if you lose but you are only letting you and your team down. Here, you are letting everyone down who come here and spend their hard-earned cash.

“I’m a big Burnley fan and down there it is the same. Everyone works all week then goes to the football home and away. It’s also a similar thing down there when the mill closed and that was bad for the town.

“But hopefully we can give them something to cheer about and be proud of at a weekend.”