Man Utd’s famed youth academy has produced a number of top players over the years and there is another crop of promising youngsters ready to step into the Red Devils’ first team
Man Utd have a famous record of their youth graduates finding a route into the club’s first-team.
The Red Devils have a proud 85-year long record of having an academy graduate in their matchday squads. The likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga and Scott McTominay have ensured that run has continued in earnest.
Alejandro Garnacho has been one of the latest to break into the first-team – the Argentine enjoying an impressive breakout campaign at Old Trafford. After helping United to the FA Youth Cup, he has made 32 appearances and scored six goals – the latest coming against Fulham last weekend.
Amad Diallo is also set for a return to the United first-team fold next season after returning from a successful loan spell at Sunderland.
Take a look at some of the candidates who could follow the youngsters into the United team.
Facundo Pellistri
Many supporters will already know about the 21-year-old Uruguayan after being made to wait for his first-team debut. He has already made nine appearances for United since joining from Penarol in 2020.
He has since spent a loan spell with Spanish side Alaves before returning to Old Trafford ahead of the current campaign. Pellistri’s only start for the Red Devils so far came in the Europa League success against Real Betis so will no doubt be aiming to build on that in the future.
Facundo Pellistri is in line for an important campaign next season ( Image: Getty Images)
Kobbie Mainoo
Another who has been on the fringes of the first-team this season, Mainoo has regularly trained with Erik ten Hag ’s side throughout the campaign. The 18-year-old has also been afforded a few chances this season with three appearances to his name in all competitions.
One of those outings came in the form of his first start for the Red Devils in the C arabao Cup quarter-final showdown with Charlton Athletic. Mainoo was rewarded with a new, long-term contract back in February so it appears highly likely that he has a role to play for the Red Devils going forwards.
Zidane Iqbal
Having been at Man United since the age of nine, the youngster has steadily progressed through the youth system at Old Trafford. He is another of the crop to have been given chances to train with the club’s first-team this season under Ten Hag.
Iqbal has already achieved plenty after becoming the first British South Asian to play in the Champions League. His progress has stuttered over recent months but he will be keen to get back on track sooner rather than later.
Noam Emeran
Whilst a host of United’s most promising youngsters have already made their first-team debuts for the Red Devils, the same cannot quite be said of 20-year-old Emeran. The youngster is already making waves in the club’s youth system with five goals in 15 Premier League 2 appearances.
He ended the latest season in scintillating form with four goals in his closing three games of the campaign. Like his U21 teammates, the youngster has been handed a chance to train with the first team and will hope to have impressed Ten Hag.
Omari Forson
From one attacking midfielder to another, 18-year-old Forson’s record is even better. Capable of playing on either flank and in the middle, he has scored nine goals and notched three assists this term.
That form has been good enough to see him get international recognition with two goals in three appearances for the England U19s. Forson has just a year left on his contract so needs to force his way into Ten Hag’s thinking sooner rather than later.
Omari Forson has been in great form for Man Utd’s U21 side this season ( Image: Getty Images)
Shola Shoretire
Nineteen-year-old forward Shoretire featured on the substitutes’ bench twice for the Red Devils before leaving Old Trafford on-loan in January. He moved to Bolton Wanderers on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Shoretire has made 16 appearances for the Trotters so far as they secured a place in the League One playoffs. He scored his first goal for his temporary employers on the final day of the campaign in a 3-2 win against Bristol Rovers.
Before this season, Shoretire has made five appearances for the Red Devils – three of which have come in the Premier League – and will hope to earn more opportunities going forwards.
Hannibal Mejbri
The 20-year-old is another to have spent the campaign out on-loan and has enjoyed a standout campaign. Mejbri – a 22-time Tunisian international – was a key player for Birmingham throughout the campaign.
He made 38 Championship appearances, scoring once and providing five assists. Even before that, the youngster had caught the eye of Ten Hag.
The United manager praised him for his contributions during pre-season. He said: “Hannibal Mejbri, he played some minutes and I think he did quite well, in training as well. He made quite a good impression.”
