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4000 consecutive first team matches with homegrown player(s) in the squad
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When Manchester United take on Everton on 15 December, it will be the 4000th senior match in succession in which at least one youth graduate is represented in the Reds’ first-team or matchday squad. This extraordinary record stretches back over nine decades to before the Second World War.
The 4000th game comes at a time of renewed vibrancy in United’s youth development pipeline, with 10 first-team debuts for Academy graduates so far this season and home-grown players accounting for over a third of our total minutes played by all first teamers.
Today’s youth graduates – including Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe, Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood – are adding to a rich heritage which has been at the heart of the club’s identity since the 4000 game-run began in 1937.
Duncan Edwards, Bill Foulkes, Sir Bobby Charlton, Nobby Stiles, George Best, Norman Whiteside, Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher are among the graduates who have graced the first team in the 82 years since.
The club’s dedication to the development of home-grown talent is, and will remain, a core part of the club’s identity and strategy, with the aim of building further generations of successful and exciting United teams in keeping with the spirit of the Busby Babes and the Class of '92.
Ed Woodward, Executive Vice-Chairman, said:
The 4000th game comes at a time of renewed vibrancy in United’s youth development pipeline, with 10 first-team debuts for Academy graduates so far this season and home-grown players accounting for over a third of our total minutes played by all first teamers.
Today’s youth graduates – including Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe, Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood – are adding to a rich heritage which has been at the heart of the club’s identity since the 4000 game-run began in 1937.
Duncan Edwards, Bill Foulkes, Sir Bobby Charlton, Nobby Stiles, George Best, Norman Whiteside, Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher are among the graduates who have graced the first team in the 82 years since.
The club’s dedication to the development of home-grown talent is, and will remain, a core part of the club’s identity and strategy, with the aim of building further generations of successful and exciting United teams in keeping with the spirit of the Busby Babes and the Class of '92.
Ed Woodward, Executive Vice-Chairman, said:
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, said:
Nick Cox, Head of Academy, said:
Nicky Butt, Head of First Team Development, said:
Yes lads, great stuff. Long may it continue
Andreas Pereira’s route into the United Academy is different to the likes of Jes
se Lingard and Marcus Rashford, but one which is becoming increasingly common as scouts cast their gaze far and wide.
In an interview for the new issue of Inside United, our official club magazine, the midfielder explains how he came from Belgium to Manchester, via the Netherlands…
How did your journey into football begin?
se Lingard and Marcus Rashford, but one which is becoming increasingly common as scouts cast their gaze far and wide.
In an interview for the new issue of Inside United, our official club magazine, the midfielder explains how he came from Belgium to Manchester, via the Netherlands…
How did your journey into football begin?
When did your Manchester United Academy story begin?
What was your first day like? Was it like a first day at school?
What were your first impressions of the Aon Training Complex?
Who were the biggest influences on you during your time in the Academy?
Do you have a favourite memory from your time in the Academy?
If you had to persuade a young player to join our Academy instead of another club, what would you say to them?
Of all the players who have come through the Academy at United, who do you think is the best one?
It's crazy that we can't even fill the bench up if we don't use any academy products.DDG
AWB - Lindelof - Maguire - Jones - Shaw
Matic - Fred
Mata - Martial - James
Bench: Romero, Grant, Dalot, Rojo
Do it Ole
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It's a great record. I'm proud of the part my Grandad, Joe Armstrong played in that. He was one of Busby's first recruits when he came to United, they'd been friends since Busby had played at City. In fact Busby turned up with his suitcase to stay with him when he arrived in Manchester to join United in 1945.
Joe was local, 15 years Matt's senior and already had a network of scouts from scouting for City and having been around Manchester football since running a team in the 1920s in Levenshulme. As well as a scout, Joe was a general "fixer" around the club, as Louis Rocca was still chief scout. During his time at the club, 1945 to 1970, Joe discovered & recruited many legends from Roger Byrne, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, Wilf McGuinness, Nobby Stiles to Brian Kidd and many more. He always made sure the new young recruits were looked after & put in digs, buzzing around in the background at the club, while Jimmy Murphy and Busby got on with taking United to new heights.
I've never been sure why he isn't more well known! But then, he wasn't the public face of the club, except to parents of players coming to the club. He was secretive, modest and always very keen to defer to "The boss"!
Here's a piece from 1957:
Joe was local, 15 years Matt's senior and already had a network of scouts from scouting for City and having been around Manchester football since running a team in the 1920s in Levenshulme. As well as a scout, Joe was a general "fixer" around the club, as Louis Rocca was still chief scout. During his time at the club, 1945 to 1970, Joe discovered & recruited many legends from Roger Byrne, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, Wilf McGuinness, Nobby Stiles to Brian Kidd and many more. He always made sure the new young recruits were looked after & put in digs, buzzing around in the background at the club, while Jimmy Murphy and Busby got on with taking United to new heights.
I've never been sure why he isn't more well known! But then, he wasn't the public face of the club, except to parents of players coming to the club. He was secretive, modest and always very keen to defer to "The boss"!
Here's a piece from 1957:
Incredible achievement. As others have said, this is so underrated. I wonder how many footballers in total, the United academy has coached and turned into professional footballers world wide?
Manchester United's youngsters are proud of the record being marked in Sunday's Premier League match against Everton at Old Trafford.
The clash with the Toffees is the 4,000th successive senior game to have featured a homegrown player in the United matchday squad, a run that started back in 1937, against Fulham. It is something the current crop of Academy stars are aware of and they appreciate being at a club that can celebrate such an achievement.
“If you look at other clubs, sometimes you don’t see an Academy player on the bench or even in the squad at all,” said Mason Greenwood. “At United, you always know before you look at the teamsheet, there is always going to be an Academy graduate already in the squad so it’s great.
”Four thousand is a lot, going back 80 years probably, and it’s great for the club knowing Manchester United does believe in the Academy and the process does work.“
Full-back Brandon Williams echoed those thoughts, saying: ”It’s an unbelievable moment – to have a youth player in 4,000 games is an achievement that is unique to the club and it just shows what the club is about. They believe in youth here and it works.“
Marcus Rashford believes one of the secrets behind the statistic is the excellent coaching within the system.
“The coaches are very good and they’re almost doing maybe 12 years of developing an individual,” he explained. “And, in those years, they can mould you into what they know a Man United player is. The coaching staff are very important. And I just can’t see it slowing down, us breeding players.”
The roll-call of famous names on the list since 1937 says everything about the history and tradition of the Reds, with the Busby Babes and Class of 92 featuring prominently.
“You see players like Becks [David Beckham], Nicky Butt, Scholesy [Paul Scholes],”commented Andreas Pereira. “You see all the ones who have come through and you know that young players will be given an opportunity if they’re good enough.”
Tahith Chong admits United are synonymous with youth development and that came across as soon as he joined the club from Feyenoord.
“I think, when you’re at United, that’s the thing that you really think about – boys coming through the Academy and playing for the first team,“ he said. ”That is really what United is all about.”
The Dutch winger's fellow countryman, Tim Fosu-Mensah, feels it is a message that stretches across the world and encourages youth talent to head to Manchester.
“For me, I had options when I was 16 to go to different clubs, other than United,“ he recalled. ”Obviously, United have a good understanding of the youth Academy to bring players to the first team.
“From when I came here, for me to become a first-team player, and not only me but a lot of other players who came through the Academy, says a lot about the club. It’s wonderful. For young players to see this – Marcus, Axel [Tuanzebe], Andreas, Scott [McTominay]– a lot of names, I think it definitely benefits the club and encourages more people to join United.”
The clash with the Toffees is the 4,000th successive senior game to have featured a homegrown player in the United matchday squad, a run that started back in 1937, against Fulham. It is something the current crop of Academy stars are aware of and they appreciate being at a club that can celebrate such an achievement.
“If you look at other clubs, sometimes you don’t see an Academy player on the bench or even in the squad at all,” said Mason Greenwood. “At United, you always know before you look at the teamsheet, there is always going to be an Academy graduate already in the squad so it’s great.
”Four thousand is a lot, going back 80 years probably, and it’s great for the club knowing Manchester United does believe in the Academy and the process does work.“
Full-back Brandon Williams echoed those thoughts, saying: ”It’s an unbelievable moment – to have a youth player in 4,000 games is an achievement that is unique to the club and it just shows what the club is about. They believe in youth here and it works.“
Marcus Rashford believes one of the secrets behind the statistic is the excellent coaching within the system.
“The coaches are very good and they’re almost doing maybe 12 years of developing an individual,” he explained. “And, in those years, they can mould you into what they know a Man United player is. The coaching staff are very important. And I just can’t see it slowing down, us breeding players.”
The roll-call of famous names on the list since 1937 says everything about the history and tradition of the Reds, with the Busby Babes and Class of 92 featuring prominently.
“You see players like Becks [David Beckham], Nicky Butt, Scholesy [Paul Scholes],”commented Andreas Pereira. “You see all the ones who have come through and you know that young players will be given an opportunity if they’re good enough.”
Tahith Chong admits United are synonymous with youth development and that came across as soon as he joined the club from Feyenoord.
“I think, when you’re at United, that’s the thing that you really think about – boys coming through the Academy and playing for the first team,“ he said. ”That is really what United is all about.”
The Dutch winger's fellow countryman, Tim Fosu-Mensah, feels it is a message that stretches across the world and encourages youth talent to head to Manchester.
“For me, I had options when I was 16 to go to different clubs, other than United,“ he recalled. ”Obviously, United have a good understanding of the youth Academy to bring players to the first team.
“From when I came here, for me to become a first-team player, and not only me but a lot of other players who came through the Academy, says a lot about the club. It’s wonderful. For young players to see this – Marcus, Axel [Tuanzebe], Andreas, Scott [McTominay]– a lot of names, I think it definitely benefits the club and encourages more people to join United.”
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Awesome!! Must be great to have a direct link to the club like that.It's a great record. I'm proud of the part my Grandad, Joe Armstrong played in that. He was one of Busby's first recruits when he came to United, they'd been friends since Busby had played at City. In fact Busby turned up with his suitcase to stay with him when he arrived in Manchester to join United in 1945.
Joe was local, 15 years Matt's senior and already had a network of scouts from scouting for City and having been around Manchester football since running a team in the 1920s in Levenshulme. As well as a scout, Joe was a general "fixer" around the club, as Louis Rocca was still chief scout. During his time at the club, 1945 to 1970, Joe discovered & recruited many legends from Roger Byrne, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, Wilf McGuinness, Nobby Stiles to Brian Kidd and many more. He always made sure the new young recruits were looked after & put in digs, buzzing around in the background at the club, while Jimmy Murphy and Busby got on with taking United to new heights.
I've never been sure why he isn't more well known! But then, he wasn't the public face of the club, except to parents of players coming to the club. He was secretive, modest and always very keen to defer to "The boss"!
Here's a piece from 1957:
It’s an unbelievable achievement this record.
Awesome bro! Any stories you would like to share about players from that era? Like anything that your grandfather might have told you.It's a great record. I'm proud of the part my Grandad, Joe Armstrong played in that. He was one of Busby's first recruits when he came to United, they'd been friends since Busby had played at City. In fact Busby turned up with his suitcase to stay with him when he arrived in Manchester to join United in 1945.
Joe was local, 15 years Matt's senior and already had a network of scouts from scouting for City and having been around Manchester football since running a team in the 1920s in Levenshulme. As well as a scout, Joe was a general "fixer" around the club, as Louis Rocca was still chief scout. During his time at the club, 1945 to 1970, Joe discovered & recruited many legends from Roger Byrne, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, Wilf McGuinness, Nobby Stiles to Brian Kidd and many more. He always made sure the new young recruits were looked after & put in digs, buzzing around in the background at the club, while Jimmy Murphy and Busby got on with taking United to new heights.
I've never been sure why he isn't more well known! But then, he wasn't the public face of the club, except to parents of players coming to the club. He was secretive, modest and always very keen to defer to "The boss"!
Here's a piece from 1957:
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anyone knows what's the number of games our academy graduates have played in total for us? I would imagine it'll be something ridiculous like 20,000 or something.
According to MEN: "Bizarrely, they will reach the landmark figure this weekend against their closest Premier League rivals in the academy production line stakes in Everton, but their run is almost 3000 games fewer."
Anyone know of any continental clubs records? I should imagine that Ajax, Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao have good records.
Will enjoy celebrating the club’s fantastic achievement at Old Trafford today, especially if an academy graduate scores a goal
Will enjoy celebrating the club’s fantastic achievement at Old Trafford today, especially if an academy graduate scores a goal
Yeah I wouldn't honestly be surprised if Tony was correct instead of MEN, basically follow them only for team news and such.
Read this as ”no other clubs than United over 2k”, so the MEN stats could be correct that Everton are somewhere between 1k and 2k.
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I was thinking the same, I’m sure Ajax record of fielding academy players goes back decades.
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it’s over 23,000...probably need to update that stat...
An incredible achievement, long may it continue.
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Academy-related, never mind the headline.
Great statistic but how does it compare to other teams ?
Read the thread...
not trying to be negative about his stat. Just wondered what other teams had.. just seems a little bit meaningless sorry.