Manchester United have a tradition of promoting academy talents to the first team and take pride in their youth recruitment. In the past, players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham were very successful with the squad. Today, Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood are first-team regulars coming from the Manchester United Academy.
Nevertheless, first-team opportunities have been lacking recently, and many graduates felt the need for a transfer. Around ten players from Carrington have been released, including the very promising Angel Gomes. Others, like Tahith Chong and Aliou Traore, have been sent on loan. This article takes a look at the next greats from the Manchester United Academy, and their chances to make the first team.
Who Are the Next Prospects From the Legendary Manchester United Academy?
Between the Sticks
Manchester United are known for developing great young goalkeepers. David de Gea made his debut for the club at 20-years-old, and Dean Henderson has had a great season in the Premier League while on loan at Sheffield United. The squad also contains the experienced Sergio Romero and Lee Grant.
From the academy, Matej Kovar is starting to make a name for himself. The 20-year-old is a familiar face in first-team training but is yet to make his debut. In the Premier League 2, the keeper appeared in 11 games, keeping four clean sheets.
Since opportunities at Old Trafford are limited, the young goalkeeper looks set to make a loan move to a lower league club next season.
Unfortunately, with Henderson deemed as de Gea’s successor, Kovar might never really get the chance he deserves.
Wan-Bissaka’s Understudy
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has solidified his name on the United team sheet this season with impressive defensive ability and great athleticism. The full-back role is very demanding, and the Red Devils could benefit from another right-back to learn from Wan-Bissaka and take some of the load in less important matches. This is where Ethan Laird comes in.
The 19-year-old has been very impressive at the U23 level this season, with ten goal contributions in his 27 appearances in the league. The young defender has also contributed three assists in his 11 appearances for the U18 squad. Laird is quick and strong, and his numbers show that he can help the team offensively.
The English full-back also benefits from European experience. Laird played 11 times in the UEFA youth league, with three assists to his name. He has also appeared for the first team twice in the Europa League, a competition where Manchester United failed to achieve their expectations. Laird can be a great asset to the club and should be given a chance to develop fully under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Heart of the Defence
Solskjaer improved his team defensively this season, but there is still some progress to be made. The pairing of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof lack pace, and can be exploited by quick attackers. Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe could solve this problem, but both are injury prone and inconsistent.
From the academy, Teden Mengi is United’s best defensive option. The 18-year-old is quick, strong, and very comfortable on the ball. With his debut under his belt, and 41 combined appearances for the U18 and U23 teams, the young English centre-back will look to solidify his place in the first team next season.
Neil Wood, the under-23’s coach is impressed by his development and wants to push him in the first team as soon as possible. “We’ll be looking to work with him next season and he’s one [player] we want to ‘do a Brandon’ with, push him on and the goal is to try and get him pushed up into that first team if we can,” he told the Manchester Evening News.
Midfield Maestros From the Manchester United Academy
The fans have come to know James Garner in the past years, and many expect him to become a first-team regular soon. He has been dubbed the next Michael Carrick by Solskjaer. At 19-years-old, Garner is a long term replacement for Nemanja Matic in defensive midfield. His ability to dictate play, and be involved in attacking moves are an asset to the club.
With 14 goals and five assists in 60 appearances for United’s youth teams in all competitions this season, Garner is one of the top prospects at Old Trafford, and needs to be given a chance before another team takes advantage of the lack of opportunities.
Just two years younger is Hannibal Mejbri, another exciting talent. The young midfielder is highly skilled technically and already has good experience. He has represented France at youth level, and Monaco, his previous club, in the UEFA youth league.
Unfortunately for the midfielders, the first team is filled with players from their position, and opportunities are rare. They will need to show their worth to get a look-in, as Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba are two giant pieces of the puzzle.
The Manchester United academy contains some of the best prospects in the world, and have a structure in place to involve them in first team activities. It is no question that we will see players like Laird, Mengi, and Garner playing first-team football regularly soon. United need to act quickly, before they lose great talents, like they did with Angel Gomes previously.
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