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Manchester United, is perhaps the biggest and one of the most widely supported clubs in the world today. According to Forbes, United is also the most valuable club in the world right now.
Nicknamed "the Red Devils", the club founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to its current stadium, Old Trafford, in 1910.
Also read: An A-Z guide to Manchester United Football Club
Over the years some of the best players in the world have taken centre stage at 'The Theatre of Dreams'. Playing for Manchester United is a matter of pride for any player in the world. However, playing for 'The Red Devils' also brings its fair share of pressure and responsibilities.
Also read: 5 longest-serving players on Manchester United's current roster
While many players would love to even be given a chance to play for the club at the far end of their careers, some players have been lucky enough to have got a chance to represent this famous club at a very young age. So, who are top 5 youngest players to have represented Manchester United? Let us have a look
#5 Federico Macheda
Federico 'Kiko' Macheda had a fairy tale start to his United career when he made his debut at the Theater of Dreams against Aston Villa at an age of 17 years 07 months and 14 days.
With 10 minutes to go and the Premier League title in the balance, the score read 2-2. On the stroke of full-time, the youngster expertly took the ball in his stride, turned and curled the ball around a helpless Brad Friedel and into the net.
He followed it up with another stupendous performance the following week against Sunderland where he also scored the winner. Macheda was hailed as a future superstar with Sir Alex Ferguson terming his finishing even better than that of Michael Owen at one point in time.
However, he failed to scale those heights in a United shirt ever again as he spent the rest of his United career on the fringes of the first team. He ended his time at Old Trafford after making 36 appearances for the club and scoring 5 goals in the process
#4 Gary Neville
Perhaps the most famous name on this list Gary Neville was part of the famous 'Class of 92' which also included his brother Phil, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.
He made his debut for United at the age of 17 years 06 months and 29 days in the UEFA Cup against Torpedo Moscow. He spent his entire playing career at United making him a one club man. When he retired, he was United's second longest serving player at that time, behind Ryan Giggs.
Neville joined United just after school and led them to the FA Youth Cup title in his first season. He established himself as United's first choice right back in the 1994-95 season and remained so till his retirement.
All in all, he made a total of 605 appearances for the club and won a total of 20 trophies, including eight Premier League titles and two Champions League titles. Currently, he works as a pundit for Sky Sports.
#3 Norman Whiteside
Norman Whiteside was a Northern Ireland international footballer who usually played as a midfielder.
He made his debut for United two weeks before his 17th birthday putting him at number three position on the list. He has many records to his name, he is the youngest player to appear in a football world cup match beating the great Pele when he made his debut at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He is also the youngest player to score in a FA Cup Final.
Scorer of some breathtaking goals for United, he was a wonderful player to watch with the ball at his feet and his excellent technique and his ball retention capacity made him a favorite of the fans.
However, he could never reach the heights that were expected from him as a persistent knee problem forced him to retire at the age of 26.
He spent eight seasons at the club before moving on to Everton at the start of the 1989-90 season. His time at United saw him make 278 appearances for the club and he also scored 68 goals.
#2 Angel Gomes
A product of the Manchester United academy Angel Gomes is the youngest player to play for United in the Premier League era. He made his debut for the club at the age of 16 years 8 months and 23 days in a 2-0 home victory against Crystal Palace.
He joined the Manchester United academy at the age of 6 and signed a formal contract at age 13. He signed his first professional contract for Manchester United in December 2017 and since then has made sporadic appearances for the first team.
His playing style has often been compared to that of Ronaldinho due to his stunning ball control and great dribbling ability.
He has always played above his age level and has also showcased his leadership abilities on the world stage - he has worn the captain's armband for England U16s and U17s.
He would be looking for more opportunities in a United shirt in the future.
#1 Duncan Edwards
Dubbed the original 'Boy Wonder', Duncan Edwards was the first player to create the kind of excitement that George Best, Paul Gascoigne, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney brought later. He made his Football League debut aged just 16 years and 185 days old on 4 April 1953, against Cardiff City, becoming the youngest player ever to represent Manchester United.
Edwards was a player who could control any game he played in. A true all-rounder, Edwards was strong, powerful and incredibly skillful - he could shoot, he could make pinpoint passes, he could tackle, he was also extremely athletic and he could play in any role in the field.
He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid 1950s.
The greatest tragedy is that his death aged just 21 from injuries sustained in the Munich air crash meant his full potential was never realized.
He made a total of 177 appearances for the club, scoring 21 goals in the process before meeting his ill-fated end.
The great Bobby Charlton once famously said, "He is the best player I have ever seen and the best footballer I have ever played with".
Duncan Edwards perhaps would have gone on to become the greatest footballer ever but for the Munich tragedy.
