Manchester United are preparing youngsters for first-team debuts

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

No matter what happens this season, it can be considered another success for the Manchester United academy set-up. While results on the pitch at first-team level will always dictate the overall mood around the club, the work being done at youth level is about so much more than which team wins at the weekend.

United's main focus is on developing players and ensuring as many as possible can make it in the professional game, whether that be at United or anywhere else in the world. Read next: United have better striker signing options than Harry Kane Academy product Marcus Rashford has arguably been the best player in the Premier League this season, while Erik ten Hag's senior side is studded with many other home-grown talents, from the likes of Scott McTominay and Tom Heaton, to the next generation of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

United's real success though is that if you tune into any Football League match over the weekend, you will most likely find a connection to Carrington and a player who has once represented the club at youth level.

That is the driving focus going forward, something academy director Nick Cox knows all too well about. “Ultimately we are preparing them for life, hopefully, in the most competitive league in the world where they are going to be expected to win,” he told club media. “The [key] driver for the academy and for our staff is individual development. “In order to promote individual development, you actually have to stretch the players and sometimes put them in a difficult environment.