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Manchester United are an elite institution. They are a club that has always valued and preserved talents from their very own academy. The search for their next superstar always begins at home. As engraved in their motto, "Youth. Courage. Success" the first pillar is based on the youth of the club.
The likes of legends such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes went on to win everything in football. This shows that Manchester United's academy is possibly the greatest in all of Europe.
The current structure of the academy has undergone significant reform over the years. It is presently headed by Nick Cox. An important part of Manchester United's academy is also the commitment of their first-team managers towards giving their youth significant game-time.
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The appointment of some managers who failed to work on the long-term team development did see United's academy take a step back. However, ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjær was appointed, he has reaffirmed his commitment to developing Manchester United's talents from their academy. He has also made sure that they form a major part of his teams.
A relatively recent win, which shall stand as testament to Manchester United's commitment to the academy, is the one against PSG in the Champions League. It came at the Parc de Princes in 2019. It was a game where talents like Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay and Tahith Chong all took the field as United celebrated another glorious European night.
On that note, let's take a look at
Top 5 current Manchester United players who graduated from the club’s academy
#5 Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay is a box-to-box midfielder who has come through the ranks from the Manchester United academy. He has been a part of their first-team ever since he came through under former United manager Jose Mourinho.
Over the years, the twenty-four-year-old has proven to be a solid option for Ole Gunnar Solskjær in the United midfield. He sits as a pivot in one of the "McFred" positions (a nickname for the duo of McTominay and Fred).
Scott McTominay has featured 94 times in the league for United since his debut. He has also contributed 10 goals and managed two assists. With his best years still ahead of him, McTominay is expected to be an indispensable part of Solskjær's core team.
#4 Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard has recently been stealing headlines due to his up-and-down performances for Manchester United. He had a midweek disaster, wherein he gave away a goal which saw his team defeated in the Champions League against Young Boys. But he came back from that and grabbed all the praise as he came on to score the winning goal in United's next fixture against West Ham.
Jesse Lingard, after his loan spell to West Ham away from his parent club, has rejuvenated his career. This uptick in form has meant that he is now an important part of Solskjær's plans for the season. He is reportedly close to signing a new contract at United. He is expected to add majorly to his youthful association with the club, which has resulted in 215 appearances so far.
#3 Mason Greenwood
Mason Greenwood is another player who graduated from the Manchester United academy. He is looked upon as United's next superstar in the making. Tipped for greater success ever since he featured in United's youth teams as a child, Greenwood has been a major part of manager Ole Solskjær's attack.
He has blossomed with every match-day for United. Greenwood, still only nineteen years old, has stepped up massively for his team. He has featured in over 112 appearances for the club and has scored 32 goals.
Mason Greenwood is set to be another superstar that the United academy has produced.
#2 Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford is already an English superstar who has come through the ranks of the Manchester United academy. The tale of how he broke into Louis Van Gaal's first team is truly remarkable. After Anthony Martial picked up an injury during an away trip to Midtjylland in the Europa league, Rashford was called upon by manager Van Gaal to take his place. Ever since that appearance, he has surely cemented his place on the left wing for Manchester United with his exceptional performances.
Rashford, at 23, has over 271 appearances for Manchester United under his belt. Alongside them are a massive 88 goals that he has scored for the club.
#1 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is surely one of the biggest superstars in the modern era of the game who has come through Manchester United's academy.
However, the player left United earlier in his career to join Juventus. He made sure that during his time away he became one of the most important midfielders of his generation. Pogba, a serial winner for Juventus and the French national team, was re-signed for a then world record fee of €105 million by United in 2016.
In the current campaign, he has made a scintillating start to the season with seven assists to his name already.
Paul Pogba has made over 213 appearances for Manchester United and has racked up 38 goals for his team. He is surely the biggest star Manchester United have produced through their youth setup in recent years.
