Last year it was Alejandro Garnacho, this year is looking like Kobbie Mainoo’s turn. While Erik ten Hag can take no credit for United identifying, signing and developing the academy graduates prior to his arrival in M16 last year, pathways to the first team have noticeably improved under his watchful eye.
Garnacho chalked up an impressive 1,357 minutes of first-team football last season, while Mainoo also made his first-team debut.
They aren’t the only young stars to have developed in the last year, with the likes of Dan Gore, Isak Hansen-Aarøen and Alvaro Fernandez, to name a few, all impressing the United manager.
Academy changes were announced in 2019 when former player Nicky Butt was promoted from head of academy to head of first-team development. Want to join our MUFC Pro club for a totally ad-free version of the MEN’s Man United app packed with premium features? Click here As part of that restructuring, Nick Cox was appointed his replacement as head of academy and the pair forged a productive partnership as greater emphasis was placed on providing a pathway to the first team for young players.
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