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In December 2019, Manchester United completed an astonishing feat when they completed their 4000th senior match in succession where at least one youth graduate was represented in their first team or match-day squad. This unparalleled record had its origin before the second World War, beginning in 1937.
Since then academy graduates such as the Busby Babes and the Class of 92 have helped Manchester United reach the pinnacle of English and European football. Illustrious names such as Duncan Foulkes, Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville have all come through the ranks at Manchester United and graduated from the club's academy.
The current Manchester United first team is also flocked with talent that has been brought in from the club's academy. The likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira have all made the step up from the Manchester United youth team.
This season saw the emergence of Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams who have cemented their places in the Manchester United senior set up and shown their potential.
It's clear Manchester United have a great youth setup in place with a constant drip feed of players that have taken the leap from the academy to the first team on a regular basis.
In fact, such has been the academy's contribution that over 50% of players to have featured for Manchester United since 1938 have come from the club's academy.
So, let's take a look at how the current Manchester United academy teams have performed this season and which players are primed to break through to the first team in the years to come.
Performance of the Manchester United U23 Team in 2019-20
The Manchester United Under 23’s is the senior most team in the Manchester United Academy, and they play in the second division of the Premier League 2.
The League was ended on May 1 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, with United sitting pretty in second spot, three points behind leaders West Ham United Under 23’s with a game in hand. The Under 23’s side have had an extremely successful season and were fighting for top spot and the chance to win automatic promotion to the first division.
Normally, teams placed second to fifth have to feature in playoffs to decide the other promoted team. However, it is still unclear about the methodology that will be used to decide the final league standings and outcome of the season.
Manchester United U23 also took part in the EFL Trophy that included teams from League 1 and League 2 as well as 16 Under 21 teams. The Manchester United under 21’s topped their group but failed to get past Tranmere Rovers in the second round. Tahith Chong performed brilliantly in that game and scored a brace but the academy team ended up losing the game 2-3 and were knocked out in the process.
The top performers for the Manchester United Under 23’s this season have been Largie Ramzani, the left winger who has scored nine goals this season. James Garner has also been excellent and has scored an astonishing eight goals from defensive midfield. Tahith Chong played only six games for them this season but scored five goals and provided as many assists, showing that he is ready for the step up to the senior team.
Performance of the Manchester United U18 Team in 2019-20
The Manchester United Under 18’s team plays in the Premier League Under 18s Group North and FA Youth Cup.
This team has a great mix of home-grown talent as well as players brought in on big fees from other academies such as Dillon Hoogewerf and Hannibal Mejbri. Mejbri was signed for a whopping €10 million from the Monaco Youth team at the start of the 2019/20 season when he was only 16.
The Manchester United Under 18s team has had a decent season so far in the Premier League U-18s before the competition was suspended. After 16 games, the academy team had 23 points and sat in sixth place, 20 points behind league leaders Manchester City Under 18s.
However, the team performed exceptionally to reach the semifinals of the prestigious FA Youth Cup. The academy team beat the likes of Lincoln City, Norwich, Leeds and Wigan to secure their semifinal berth and were due to play Chelsea in a mouth watering clash.
United’s last FA Youth Cup victory came in 2011 when the likes of Pogba, Lingard and Ravel Morrison were the main stars. Chelsea have won seven of the last ten FA Youth Cups and would have been a stern test for the Manchester United Under 18s.
This competition, however, is the only youth competition that is yet to be called off, and there is some optimism that it might be finished at a later date when it is safe to do so.
The stars of the Manchester United Under 18 teams have been Anthony Elanga who has scored seven goals and three assists in nine appearances. Charlie McCann has scored six goals from midfield along with the big money signing Hannibal Mejbri.
Top 5 Manchester United Academy Talents
Manchester United have always had a few youngsters making the step up to the first team every season. This season, we saw the likes of Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams integrate smoothly in the senior setup. But there is plenty of other academy players who are primed to take the next step.
Here are the five Manchester United academy talents that you need to keep your eye on.
#1: James Garner
James Garner has been at Manchester United since he was eight years old and has excelled across all age groups. He won the Premier League Under 18s in 2017/18, has captained the England Under 17s at the 2018 Euros and is now captaining the Under 23’s.
Garner is a defensive midfielder with excellent awareness and passing range and has already drawn comparisons with Michael Carrick. He has crucially added goal-scoring to his game as well this season, scoring eight times in ten games in the Premier League 2.
Watching Garner play with the youth teams, he looks a level above his teammates and is ready for the step up to the senior team. But with limited first team opportunities for the youngster, it remains to be seen if he plays for the first team or goes out on loan.
#2: Hannibal Mejbri
Hannibal Mejbri was one of the most in-demand teenagers in the summer of 2019 and was chased by the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona before signing for Manchester United for a fee that rises to €10 million with add ons.
That is quite a lot of money for a 17-year-old, but Mejbri has been destined for success and even signed a deal with Adidas at the age of 13. He excelled in the Manchester United Under 18s under manager Neil Wood.
Subsequently he earned a call up to the Under 23’s where he has averaged an assist every 55 minutes. Mejbri's former Paris FC coach has described him as a modern midfielder who combines excellent ball recovery, fast transitioning and the ability to finish. Manchester United fans will definitely get to see the prodigy make his senior debut some time next season.
#3: Dylan Levitt
Like James Garner, Dylan Levitt also joined Manchester United as a schoolboy and rose through the ranks at the club's academy.
He was handed his senior debut by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season in a Europa League game away to Astana where he put in a solid shift. Levitt is a central midfielder who can use both feet and has a decent range of passing and composure in the middle of the pitch.
However, more importantly, Levitt has the ability to move the ball forward and dictate the tempo of play. The 19-year-old was called up to the Welsh squad for a training camp as well as Wales' final Euro 2020 Qualifiers in November 2019. Although he didn’t play a game, he earned lavish praise from former Manchester United academy graduate and Wales boss Ryan Giggs.
#4: Ethan Laird
Ethan Laird is everything you want in a modern full-back; he is quick, extremely accurate at crossing and is also more than capable defensively.
His attacking presence is evident as he picked up two goals and eight assists in the 2018/19 season for the Manchester United Under 18s. This season, he managed three assists in ten games for the U23s.
Laird's performances in the youth team have not gone unnoticed, and he earned a call up for the Europa League this season where he made his full debut against Astana in November.
Laird is versatile and can also do a job at centre-back or left-back. The only aspect that holds him back is his dodgy injury record. If he can stay fit, Manchester United fans will see much more of the youngster in the years to come.
#5: Teden Mengi
Teden Mengi could be the next Manchester United academy graduate to break into the first team. Under 18s manager Neil Wood is hopeful that Mengi can “do a brandon” next season and enter the senior setup.
At 15, Mengi was playing in the Under 18s and already moved to the Under 23’s last season. The Centre-back is known for his physicality and speed and is said to have clocked the fourth fastest speed at the club in the speed test, finishing behind Jesse Lingard, Axel Tuanzebe and Daniel James.
He is also said to be comfortable in possession and has an understanding of the game that is much beyond his age. At the youth level, Mengi looks like a man among boys, and he looks ready for the step up.
This dedication to promote and develop home-grown talent among superstars has always been a part of Manchester United’s DNA. This philosophy of giving chances to youngsters has given Manchester United the identity they have today.
We can see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continuing that tradition and giving the youngsters the time they need to excel. With the talent that is present in the Manchester United academy, let’s hope that this next generation of youngsters can follow the footsteps of the Busby Babes and the Class of 92 and usher in a new era of success and dominance in Manchester.
