The Red Devils have a history of promoting from within, beginning with the legendary Busby Babes and continuing with Fergie’s Fledglings. In May, the club’s U18 team proved the significance of the academy by winning the FA Youth Cup.
Published: 26 July 2022
However, new manager Erik ten Hag seems to be carrying on the practise of his predecessors by giving young players like Hannibal Mejbri, Zidane Iqbal, and Alejandro Garnacho opportunities in recent preseason games.
If they are successful, they will join the ranks of other brilliant players who have shone at Old Trafford. As a member of the Manchester United soccer team,
Ryan Giggs
The Welsh wing wizard started his professional career with Man City but transferred to United at the age of 14 in 1987. The young prodigy would get his first professional start in 1991 thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson, and he would go on to play for the club for an incredible 23 years.
He has played in more games (963 to be exact) than anyone else in club history. And is one of the sport’s all-time greats, with a trophy case that includes 13 Premier League crowns, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, and 2 Champions Leagues.
David Beckham
Beckham‘s goal from half field against Wimbledon on the first day of the 1996–97 season catapulted him to international fame. He had joined the club as a trainee six years earlier, during which time the club’s ‘Class of ’92’ U18 team had become a dominant force and won the FA Youth Cup.
He made 394 appearances for the team and scored 85 goals, many of which came on signature free kicks that were made famous in the movie “Bend it like Beckham.”
When his disagreement with Fergie about his superstar status reached a head in a locker room brawl, he quit and joined Real Madrid. Later in his career, he played for LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and PSG, and he made history by becoming the first English player to win league titles in England, Spain, the United States, and France.
George Best
Best, the fifth Beatle, was the first celebrity footballer. His reputation and good looks were as complementary to his play as his skill. He was a natural on the field, and it showed from the moment he stepped foot on Old Trafford soil for the first time in 1963 against West Brom, when he was just 17 years old.
Bob Bishop, United’s senior scout, famously spotted him when he was 15 and telegrammed Sir Matt Busby, “I think I’ve found you a genius.” He promptly signed with United.
Four years later, he made his debut with Benfica, outshining the Portuguese superstar Eusebio in Lisbon with two goals in the European Cup quarterfinals.
However, his wild ways and alcoholism would eventually catch up with him. Days before he turned 28, he left Old Trafford and never again reached the heights he had reached as a young man.
Paul Pogba
The 2009 France World Cup winner was picked from La Havre’s youth programme when he was only 16 years old. Fergie called the move “disappointing” and criticised his agent, Mino Raiola, after he played only seven times in his first stint before leaving controversially for Juventus in 2012.
In 2016, Pogba would return for a world record cost of £90 million and demonstrate flashes of the extraordinary talent that on his day places him among the greatest in the world. United supporters are still fuming over the fact that he walked away from Old Trafford for free this summer to return to Turin.
Edwards Duncan
Since Edwards’ life was cut short at the tender age of 21 in the Munich aviation accident of 1958, it is impossible to say what he may have accomplished. He had already made 177 appearances for Manchester United and 18 for England.
After signing with the club as a 15-year-old, he won two league titles and guided the team to two European Cup semi-finals in a career that lasted no longer than five years. As Bobby Charlton famously put it, “the only player that made me feel inferior” was Edwards.
Joseph Paul Scholes
Scholes was another player from United’s illustrious ‘Class of ’92 to join the club. As a 14-year-old fresh out of high school, he signed on as a trainee and eventually made his debut in 1994, scoring twice in a League Cup match against Port Vale.
Later, Barcelona star Xavi would describe the midfielder as “the best centre midfielder I’ve seen in the past 15-20 years,” among other accolades from his contemporaries. Henry would add, “If he was playing with me, I would have scored so many more.” As a United player, Scholes won 11 Premier League titles and two Champions League titles over his entire career.
Gary Neville
Gary Neville, perhaps the best right back of his generation, led the club’s youth team to the FA Youth Cup title in 1992, only a year after signing with the club. When starting centre back Paul Parker was hurt that year, he stepped in and never left the first team for the next two decades.
The club loyalist made 602 appearances for the team and 85 for England. Neville has found success in a variety of post-football endeavours since retiring in 2011. He revealed that he knew it was his last game when he sat down on the toilet at halftime during a match against West Brom. In addition to his role as a pundit for Sky Sports, he is also a real estate developer and had a brief but disastrous run as manager of Valencia.
Sir Charlton Bobby
Charlton is still honoured as an eternal representative of United and is considered the club’s finest servant in history. Man U head scout Joe Armstrong saw Sir Bobby playing for East Northumberland schools in 1953, and signed him immediately.
His first game was in 1956, and he ended up scoring 249 goals for Man Utd, making him the club’s all-time best scorer until Wayne Rooney came along. The 49 goals he scored for England were a record until Wayne Rooney came along and broke it. Honoring his greatness with a statue outside Old Trafford.
Marc Hughes
Hughes was discovered as a young player in 1980 by United’s North Wales talent scout Hugh Roberts, but he is often forgotten for his later achievements with the club. For his first professional game, he had to wait three years, but he finally made his debut and scored in the League Cup against Oxford United.
In 1986, Barcelona paid £2 million to acquire the Welsh striker, and manager Terry Venables paired him with Gary Lineker. Sadly, Hughes was a bust and showed no improvement during his loan stint with Bayern Munich. In 1988, however, he was able to return to his native Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson, and he spent the next seven seasons scoring 116 goals for United.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford, one of the more recent graduates of the modern version of the school, burst into the scene in 2015, scoring twice in United’s professional debut against Danish side Midtjylland in the round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League.
Then, on his Premier League debut, he helped his team beat Arsenal, 3-2, with two goals and an assist. Since then, Rashford has become a hero to low-income school children by advocating on their behalf and securing free school meals for them thanks to his position on the England national team.
His performance level has declined, and his future prospects have been called into question. However, Rashford’s revival may be sparked by the arrival of new coach ten Hag.
You may also like…
- Hermes claims cops detain him weekly due to his looks
- United want Sesko, but Red Bull Salzburg wants £55m.
