Five youth players Manchester United let get away

3) Ravel Morrison

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Ravel Morrison of West Ham charges upfield during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at White Hart Lane on October 6, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Ah, Ravel Morrison, an enigma in and of himself. The young prodigy, born in Manchester itself, was once one of the hottest properties in Manchester. Much and more was expected of the creative midfielder, who possessed “touch, pace, balance and vision”. Joining United as a 16-year old in 2009, Morrison was immediately likened to Paul Scholes for the way he moved on the pitch- something that is not handed out easily in Manchester. But as time passed, it became evident that Morrison’s life off the pitch was overshadowing his life on it. Charged multiple times with various misdemeanors, it was only United’s plea to the courts for leniency that kept Morrison out of Juvenile reform centres. The final straw for the United hierarchy came when he pleaded guilty to two counts of witness intimidation. When Morrison was sold off to West Ham by Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2012 summer transfer window, he said to Sam Allardyce, “A brilliant footballer, brilliant ability, Top class ability, Needs to get away from Manchester and start a new life.”