The Best Manchester United Academy Players Since The Class of ’92
We all know how good the Manchester United academy is. It’s produced players such as David Beckham, Mark Hughes and Paul Scholes – but who is the best graduate since the legendary class of 92?
To be eligible for this list, a player must have spent at least a year in United’s academy. As such, we won’t be including Pique, Giuseppe Rossi or Fabio. Also, we won’t be putting these players in any particular order – that’s for you to decide!
Dean Henderson
Well-travelled shot stopper Dean Henderson has spent time at numerous clubs on loan from Manchester United. He’s put the experience to good use – now, he’s one of the better ‘keepers the Premier League has to offer.
While he possesses brilliant reflexes, he will need to develop into a more authoritative presence in the box – however, he is making progress in that regard at Nottingham Forest.
In total, Henderson has had six loan spells away from United. Will next season be his time to shine as the Red Devils’ first choice goalie ahead of David De Gea?
Darren Fletcher
Darren Fletcher was never the most exciting or creative of midfielders. Despite his limitations, he was always welcomed in United’s first team – his limitless stamina and intelligence on the ball made him a very capable box-to-box player.
As he began to slow down towards the end of his time at Old Trafford, he neatly transformed into a defensive midfielder, where his anticipation and physicality was put to good use.
Outside of United, Fletcher also enjoyed brief spells at West Brom and Stoke in the twilight of his career. He played internationally for Scotland, picking up 80 caps and scoring five goals for the Tartan Army.
Danny Welbeck
Danny Welbeck came into the footballing world with plenty of hype – while he never completely lived up to it, he has nonetheless forged an admirable career for himself. Currently at Brighton, he has scored one goal and racked up three assists in 15 Premier League games this season.
Welbeck was a United player from 2008 to 2014 – following this, he made the jump to Arsenal. While at the Gunners, he infamously scored against the Red Devils in the FA Cup – and did not hold back with his celebrations.
Welbeck also enjoyed mild success as an England player under Roy Hodgson in particular. He earned 42 caps for the Three Lions, scoring 16 goals.
Adnan Januzaj
In Adnan Januzaj’s first few games for Manchester United’s senior team, he looked like one of the world’s most promising young talents. Sadly, he never quite reached the heights that United fans hoped he would.
Now aged 27, he is currently floundering at Sevilla. He’s made just two appearances all season, with no goals or assists to speak of – in Sevilla’s latest fixture, he failed to make the squad.
Januzaj’s career trajectory seems to indicate that he will become one of football’s ‘what could’ve been’ stories. It’s not been all bad, though – he scored a great goal against England for Belgium in the 2018 World Cup, where De Rode Duivels eventually came third overall.
John O’Shea
The oldest player on this list, John O’Shea developed into a cult figure at both United and the Republic of Ireland. A solid, if unspectacular defender, he was somewhat underrated during his time at Old Trafford.
Outside of United, he also played for Sunderland and Reading towards the end of his career. Additionally, the Irishman also enjoyed loan spells at Bournemouth and Royal Antwerp.
O’Shea was a United player for almost 12 years, having been snapped up by the club from Waterford as a teenager. Nowadays, aged 41, he is a coach at Stoke.
Marcus Rashford
The only player on the list who is currently playing for United, Marcus Rashford is the best academy product that the Red Devils have unleashed in years. Not only this – he’s also experiencing arguably his best season at Old Trafford to date.
He made his Premier League debut all the way back in 2016, where he bagged a brace against Arsenal. Since then, he’s shifted position from a central striker to becoming a deadly winger.
Quick, strong and with an excellent finishing touch, Rashford has developed into one of the league’s – and England’s – best players.
Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba will forever remain a subject of debate between Manchester United fans. Was he a success? Or was he just another overhyped, mollycoddled flop?
Pogba’s talents cannot be denied. An excellent passer of the ball with an imposing physique and a knack for scoring goals, he looked like the ideal modern midfielder.
Pogba had two stints at United. His first came to end when he moved to Juventus, while his second concluded when he moved to – you guessed it – Juventus. While he appeared to have the world at his feet when he joined United for the second time, he never really found a consistent run of form.
While Pogba’s passing was often precise, he generally waited too long on the ball – something that you cannot do in the Premier League. He also suffered from injuries – in spite of all this, he made a total of 157 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 29 goals.