A Manchester United team are on a 14-game winning run. It might sound like a bygone era, but it speaks to a brighter future at Old Trafford. That's because the team in question are the under-18s, who have conquered counterparts from Liverpool, Manchester City and elsewhere this season to go 17 points clear at the top of the Under-18 Premier League North with a perfect record - 42 points from 14 games.
So, as much as this season has been a struggle for the United first team and all associated with it, amid questions over the club's leadership on the pitch and in the boardroom, one of the world's grandest academies has quietly gone from strength to strength.
United have named an academy graduate in every match squad for more than 86 years. It is a proud record and, thanks to the achievements of their under-18s and the promise shown in younger age groups too, it looks in no danger of ending any time soon.
Names such as Jayce Fitzgerald, Harry Amass and Shea Lacey will not mean much even to some ardent United fans, but the club are confident they are part of an under-18s cohort who can match what Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho - who joined as a 16-year-old - have done in recent years and make the leap to first-team level.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 08, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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