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Manchester United have been known to produce a good number of world beaters in their youth setup from time immemorial. The most prominent set of players to have emerged from the Manchester United academy is the famed 'Class of 92'.
Groomed together in the academy, these players went on to achieve stardom at Old Trafford. Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes were part of the young Red Devils side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992. They went on to become first-team regulars for Manchester United, winning a great number of titles and honors at the club.
Manchester United still have a top quality academy set-up
Recently, players like Marcus Rashford, Dean Henderson and Mason Greenwood have emerged from the academy with glowing recommendations and proven themselves in the first-team. Manchester United have also signed a good number of quality youngsters over the years to improve their squad.
In football, not every young prospect goes on to be a superstar due to the demanding nature of the sport. On that note, here is a list of five former Manchester United youngsters who failed to live up to the hype they generated.
#5 Adnan Januzaj
David Moyes handed Adnan Januzaj his Manchester United debut in the 2013/14 season. The Belgian youngster was promoted to the first team by Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2012/13 season and made the bench for the final game of the season.
In October 2013, Januzaj scored a brace on his full debut for the club against Sunderland to guide them to a 2-1 win. He ended the season with a decent return of five goals and eight assists in 38 appearances across all competitions. By the start of the 2014/15 season, Januzaj was handed the number 11 shirt that was previously worn by Ryan Giggs.
Januzaj failed to reach the heights he did in his debut campaign and was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland in successive seasons from 2015/16. He now plays for Real Sociedad, the club he signed for on a permanent basis in 2017.
#4 Darron Gibson
A certain Darron Gibson was released by League Two side Salford City last summer at 34 years of age. The midfielder is widely remembered for making 60 appearances for Manchester United as a youngster, with 10 goals and eight assists to show for it.
Gibson was dubbed "The next Paul Scholes" by Sir Alex Ferguson after he broke out at Manchester United. The Irishman made his debut for the club aged 19 in 2008 and played alongside Scholes in midfield. Gibson scored in every competition he represented Manchester United in, and was on the bench as they claimed the FIFA Club World Cup in 2008.
The midfielder left Manchester United in January 2012 for Everton on a permanent basis. He moved around England on various deals and is presently clubless as he considers the next step in his career.
#3 Federico Macheda
When Manchester United needed a hero in their April 2009 clash against Aston Villa, Italian teenager Federico Macheda stepped up to make the difference. With the Red Devils 2-1 down, Macheda was introduced into the game for Nani after 60 minutes. After Cristiano Ronaldo had equalized for the Red Devils, the 17-year-old scored with a superb effort in added time to give Manchester United the win.
In his second appearance for the club, Macheda scored as a substitute against Sunderland just 46 seconds after coming on. The Italian striker was called up to the Italy U21 side and became their youngest-ever player as he made his debut before his 18th birthday.
Macheda struggled to perform for Manchester United after his glamorous start and was soon loaned out to Sampdoria, QPR, Stuttgart, Doncaster Rovers and Birmingham City before he was eventually released in 2014.
He joined Championship side Cardiff City and had spells at Nottingham Forest and Novara before settling down in Greece with Panathinaikos. The Italian striker, now 30, has found a home in Greece and is enjoying his football once again.
#2 Bebe
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he signed Portuguese teenager Bebe for a handsome sum of £7 million based on hearsay without ever seeing him play. He had only met the player a day before his transfer was completed, and signed him on the recommendation of his Portuguese assistant Carlos Queiroz.
Having been highly recommended, the midfielder was not sent on loan and instead kept as part of the squad for the season. He made his debut as a substitute in the League Cup clash against Scunthorpe United and scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win over Bursaspor in the UEFA Champions League. He managed only seven appearances for Manchester United before he was farmed out on a series of loan moves.
Bebe briefly moved to Benfica on a permanent basis in 2014 before moving to Spain after only one season. He has remained in Spain since then, and now plays for Rayo Vallecano.
#1 Ravel Morrison
Seen as the best player in a Manchester United youth side that had Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, Ravel Morrison was touted for big things. As a youngster, Sir Alex Ferguson regarded him as the best player he had ever seen at that age.
Morrison made his debut for Manchester United in 2010 in a League Cup match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He would go on to make only two more appearances in the League Cup before leaving the club for West Ham United in 2012.
Morrison has embarked on a journeyman career since, with spells at clubs in England, Sweden, Mexico, the Netherlands and Italy. He now plays in the EFL Championship for Derby County, managed by former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney.
According to his former Manchester United team-mates, his rough upbringing was his biggest obstacle to stardom, and it prevented him from reaching the heights he should have.
