Manchester United lay groundwork for success with teenagers

Manchester United has always believed in young players. Following the emergence of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo in the current team, it is clear for young players in the academy that they have a pathway into the first team and hard work pays off.

The teenage stars from United are playing a massive role for the club. That role may not lead to immediate success, but with the likes of Willy Kambwala gaining invaluable experience in the best domestic league in the world, it looks like Erik ten Hag is building something promising for the future.

Statman Dave, who has previously worked with MUTV, provides an in-depth look at statistics regarding the Premier League. He calculated that Manchester United has played 3,637 minutes of teenagers this season.

Only Brighton has used teenagers more often than United.

Manchester United have given nearly three times the amount of minutes (3,637) to teenagers in the Premier League this season than the rest of the Top 6 combined (1,245):

🥇 MAN UTD (3,637)

🥈 Man City (698)

🥉 Aston Villa (360)

4️⃣ Liverpool (117)

5️⃣ Spurs (56)

6️⃣ Arsenal (14)… pic.twitter.com/XVnQovaSav

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 9, 2024

In turn, fans should find it reassuring that foundations for future success. United have always been the club to give opportunities to younger players, with managers believing that if a player is good enough, they’re suddenly old enough to make the team.

It was clear last season that Garnacho was destined to be a star at Old Trafford, although Mainoo has also demonstrated a level of comfort in the senior United side.

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