Youth. Courage. Success. The three pillars of Manchester United.. United have a rich history of believing in young players and Erik ten Hag’s promotion of talent at Ajax was one of the reasons his interview at Old Trafford was a success. During Ten Hag’s time in charge of United he’s given five players – Charlie McNeill, Kobbie Mainoo, Dan Gore, Willy Kambwala and Omari Forson – their debuts for the first-team.. Alejandro Garnacho was handed his bow by Ralf Rangnick, but he’s broken into the first-team under Ten Hag’s guidance and the Dutchman been the manager responsible for his impressive development, which has seen the winger make 20 starts in the Premier League this season.. ALSO READ: United’s exciting youngster Lacey set to sign pro contract. ALSO READ: Shaw injury hint as player joins England camp. Garnacho is an established first-team player and a huge academy success story. He was signed for a pittance from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2020 and he’s proved to be a bargain. The 19-year-old has matured this term and his relocation to the right wing, a position which he’d never played before prior to facing Aston Villa, has gone seamlessly.. There was always a suspicion Garnacho would be as effective on the right and he’s made that position his own, starting ahead of £86million purchase Antony. Garnacho was the only outfield player not to be given a single minute on the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia in Ten Hag’s first summer in charge but the Dutchman has been the perfect manager for a youngster who perhaps needed more guidance than others.. Ten Hag deserves huge praise for developing Garnacho and he’s overseen the emergence of Mainoo, who has started 11 of United’s 12 games in all competitions in 2024. Mainoo is an exceptional prospect and the footage of Ten Hag putting his arm around him after the Carabao Cup final at Wembley has resurfaced over the last few weeks.. The 18-year-old was not involved in the squad, but he was invited to take part in the celebrations and Ten Hag’s gesture hinted at his future role. He was subsequently named on the pre-season tour of the United States and was the breakout star of last summer.. Mainoo was superb in those pre-season friendlies and his breakthrough into the first-team this season was only delayed by the ankle injury he sustained against Real Madrid in Texas. The midfielder passed every test after returning from injury – facing Everton, Galatasaray, Newcastle and Liverpool away – and his call-up to the England squad is deserved.. It’s likely Mainoo would have broken into the United team regardless of the manager, but Ten Hag has shown trust in him and the player has gone on record with his appreciation. Ten Hag has previously said only the best youth prospects will be given meaningful opportunities, and Garnacho and Mainoo are the most recent academy success stories.. United are closing in on the milestone of the 250th academy player to be given their senior debut and that’s a remarkable achievement, although unlikely to be met this season. Forson, Kambwala and Gore were the latest players to receive their debuts. Gore has been sent on loan to Port Vale, while the others have been kept around the first-team squad.. McNeill spent the first half of the season on loan at Stevenage, but was recalled in January and he’s spending time with the Under-21s to get back up to speed again. Garnacho, Mainoo, Gore and McNeill all started in the FA Youth Cup final in 2022 and it’s been tremendous to see them progress to make their senior debuts at the club.. Ten Hag has fulfilled his remit in that regard and that can only bode well for a decision on his future made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has reiterated the importance of developing young players. His record of giving young talent a chance is something INEOS will appreciate.
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