Manchester United F.C. Under-21s and Academy

Manchester United Football Club Under-21s is the most senior of Manchester United's youth teams and the club's former reserve team. They play in the Premier League 2, the highest tier of the Professional Development League. The team is effectively Manchester United's second-string side, but is limited to five outfield players and one goalkeeper over the age of 21 per game following the introduction of new regulations from the 2022–23 season, a change from three outfield players over age 23 introduced in 2016–17. The age limit previously was again 21, from 2012–13. The team's current manager is Adam Lawrence, who took over from Travis Binnion in 2026.

Source: Wikipedia

Article

Manchester United F.C. Under-21s and Academy

They were champions of the former Premier Reserve League five times (in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2012) between its introduction in 1999 and its dissolution in 2012. The team also won the 2012–13 Professional U21 Development League 1 in its inaugural season, and again in 2015 and 2016. The team also participates in the regional Manchester Senior Cup and the Lancashire Senior Cup. From the 2019–20 edition, they also participate in the nationwide EFL Trophy along with senior teams from levels 3 and 4 of the English football league system, as teams from levels 1 and 2 are restricted to players aged 21 and under.

From November 2008 to August 2013, the team played its home matches at Moss Lane in Altrincham, the home of Altrincham For the 2013–14 Under-21 Premier League season, the team has played the majority of its home matches at Salford City Stadium in Barton-upon-Irwell. Since 2014–15, the team play its home matches at Leigh Sports Village. Rules set out by the Premier League state that at least three home league games per season must be played at the club's main stadium, Old Trafford. In previous seasons, the team has played at the Victoria Stadium, the home of Northwich Victoria, and Ewen Fields, the home of Hyde United.

Manchester United also has an Under-18s team that plays in the Premier League Under-18s Group 2 and the FA Youth Cup. The under-18s play their home games at the club's Trafford Training Centre in Carrington.

Under-21s

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

<table><thead><tr><th>No.</th><th>Pos.</th><th>Nation</th><th>Player</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>34</td><td>GK</td><td> ENG</td><td>Elyh Harrison</td></tr><tr><td>38</td><td>MF</td><td> ENG</td><td>Jack Fletcher</td></tr><tr><td>39</td><td>MF</td><td> SCO</td><td>Tyler Fletcher</td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>GK</td><td> NIR</td><td>Dermot Mee</td></tr><tr><td>48</td><td>MF</td><td> IRL</td><td>Jack Moorhouse</td></tr><tr><td>54</td><td>DF</td><td> SCO</td><td>Louis Jackson</td></tr><tr><td>55</td><td>MF</td><td> ENG</td><td>Finley McAllister</td></tr><tr><td>57</td><td>FW</td><td> SCO</td><td>Malachi Sharpe</td></tr><tr><td>58</td><td>FW</td><td> ENG</td><td>Ashton Missin</td></tr><tr><td>No.</td><td>Pos.</td><td>Nation</td><td>Player</td></tr><tr><td>60</td><td>DF</td><td> ENG</td><td>Sonny Aljofree</td></tr><tr><td>61</td><td>FW</td><td> ENG</td><td>Shea Lacey</td></tr><tr><td>62</td><td>MF</td><td> ENG</td><td>Jayce Fitzgerald</td></tr><tr><td>63</td><td>GK</td><td> NIR</td><td>William Murdock</td></tr><tr><td>64</td><td>FW</td><td> ENG</td><td>Victor Musa</td></tr><tr><td>65</td><td>DF</td><td> ENG</td><td>Reece Munro</td></tr><tr><td>66</td><td>DF</td><td> ENG</td><td>Jaydan Kamason</td></tr><tr><td>75</td><td>DF</td><td> ENG</td><td>Habeeb Ogunneye</td></tr></tbody></table>

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

<table><thead><tr><th>No.</th><th>Pos.</th><th>Nation</th><th>Player</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>40</td><td>GK</td><td> CZE</td><td>Radek Vítek (at Bristol City until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>42</td><td>MF</td><td> MLI</td><td>Sékou Koné (at Lausanne-Sport until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>49</td><td>FW</td><td> ENG</td><td>Ethan Ennis (at Fleetwood Town until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>56</td><td>FW</td><td> ENG</td><td>Ethan Williams (at Falkirk until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>No.</td><td>Pos.</td><td>Nation</td><td>Player</td></tr><tr><td>59</td><td>MF</td><td> GIB</td><td>James Scanlon (at Swindon Town until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>60</td><td>FW</td><td> WAL</td><td>Gabriele Biancheri (at Rotherham United until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>67</td><td>MF</td><td> IRL</td><td>Jacob Devaney (at St Mirren until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>—</td><td>FW</td><td> FRA</td><td>Enzo Kana-Biyik (at Lausanne-Sport until 30 June 2026)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Managerial history

<table><thead><tr><th>Years</th><th>Name</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1946–1964</td><td>Jimmy Murphy</td></tr><tr><td>1964–1969</td><td>Wilf McGuinness</td></tr><tr><td>1969–1970</td><td>John Aston Sr.</td></tr><tr><td>1970–1971</td><td>Wilf McGuinness</td></tr><tr><td>1971–1974</td><td>Bill Foulkes</td></tr><tr><td>1974–1981</td><td>Jack Crompton</td></tr><tr><td>1981–1991</td><td>Brian Whitehouse</td></tr><tr><td>1991–2000</td><td>Pop Robson Jimmy Ryan</td></tr><tr><td>2000–2001</td><td>Mike Phelan</td></tr><tr><td>2001–2002</td><td>Brian McClair</td></tr><tr><td>2002</td><td>Mike Phelan</td></tr><tr><td>2002–2005</td><td>Ricky Sbragia</td></tr><tr><td>2005–2006</td><td>Brian McClair</td></tr><tr><td>2005–2006</td><td>René Meulensteen</td></tr><tr><td>2006–2008</td><td>Brian McClair</td></tr><tr><td>2008–2011</td><td>Ole Gunnar Solskjær Warren Joyce</td></tr><tr><td>2011–2016</td><td>Warren Joyce</td></tr><tr><td>2016–2017</td><td>Nicky Butt</td></tr><tr><td>2017–2019</td><td>Ricky Sbragia</td></tr><tr><td>2019–2022</td><td>Neil Wood</td></tr><tr><td>2022–2023</td><td>Mark Dempsey</td></tr><tr><td>2023–2026</td><td>Travis Binnion</td></tr><tr><td>2026–</td><td>Adam Lawrence</td></tr></tbody></table>

Honours

• Premier League 2: 3 • 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16 • Premier Reserve League • Play-off Final Winners: (4) 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 • Northern Champions: (5) 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 • Central League: 9 • 1912–13, 1920–21, 1938–39, 1946–47, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97 • Central League Division 1 West: 1 • 2005 • Central League Cup: 1 • 2005 • Manchester Senior Cup: 12 • 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 • Lancashire Senior Cup: 15 • 1898, 1913, 1914, 1920 (shared), 1929, 1938, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1951, 1969, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 • SuperCupNI: 1 • 2017

Under-18s

Manchester United F.C. Under-21s and Academy

The Manchester United Academy was established in 1998, following the reorganisation of youth football in England, but has roots stretching all the way back to the 1930s with the establishment of the Manchester United Junior Athletic Club (MUJAC), and has been responsible for producing some of Manchester United's greatest ever players, including the club's top five all-time appearance makers, Ryan Giggs, Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, and the new wave of home-grown talents known as Fergie's Fledglings. The current academy is based at the club's Trafford Training Centre, an 85-acre (340,000 m2) site in the Manchester suburb of Carrington.

The Manchester United youth team is statistically the most successful in English football, with nine players in the English football Hall of Fame (Duncan Edwards, Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Nobby Stiles, Mark Hughes, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Johnny Giles). Manchester United also have the best FA Youth Cup record, winning on ten occasions out of 14 final appearances.

The academy comprises age-group teams ranging from Under-9s up to the flagship Under-18s, who currently compete in Group C of the Premier Academy League and in the FA Youth Cup. The Under-16s and Under-18s typically play their academy league games at 11am on Saturday mornings at Carrington, while Youth Cup games are generally played at either Altrincham's Moss Lane ground (where the under-23s play their home games) or the club's 76,000-capacity Old Trafford home, in order to cater for the greater number of supporters these fixtures attract.

In 2007, Manchester United Under-18s won the Champions Youth Cup, intended to be an analogue to the FIFA Club World Cup for youth sides, beating Juventus 1–0 in the final in Malaysia. It was their first and only title, since the tournament was scrapped after only one edition.

Current squad

<table><thead><tr><th>Nat.</th><th>Player</th><th>Date of birth</th><th>Position</th><th>Number</th><th>International caps</th><th>Previous club</th><th>Joined</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2nd Year Scholars</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Cameron Byrne-Hughes</td><td>2 November 2007</td><td>GK</td><td>79</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Fred Heath</td><td>25 September 2007</td><td>GK</td><td>78</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Daniel Armer</td><td>23 October 2007</td><td>DF</td><td>75</td><td>Capped at Under-19 level</td><td></td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Albert Mills</td><td>28 February 2008</td><td>DF</td><td>71</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Dante Plunkett</td><td>9 October 2007</td><td>DF</td><td>69</td><td></td><td>Aston Villa</td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Godwill Kukonki</td><td>6 February 2008</td><td>DF</td><td>72</td><td>Capped at Under-17 level</td><td></td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>James Overy</td><td>9 November 2007</td><td>DF</td><td>76</td><td>Capped at Under-19 level</td><td>Newton Abbot Spurs</td><td>September 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Jim Thwaites</td><td>20 December 2007</td><td>MF</td><td>77</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Amir Ibragimov</td><td>2 April 2008</td><td>MF</td><td>73</td><td>Capped at Under-16 level</td><td>Sheffield United</td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Bendito Mantato</td><td>25 January 2008</td><td>FW</td><td>70</td><td>Capped at Under-17 level</td><td></td><td>July 2024</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Samuel Lusale</td><td>7 September 2007</td><td>FW</td><td>80</td><td>Capped at Under-19 level</td><td>Crystal Palace</td><td>September 2024</td></tr><tr><td>1st Year Scholars</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Zachary Watson</td><td>19 September 2008</td><td>GK</td><td>81</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Rafe McCormack</td><td>14 December 2008</td><td>DF</td><td>86</td><td>Capped at Under-16 level</td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Jacob Watson</td><td>16 May 2009</td><td>DF</td><td>82</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Jayden Ngwashi</td><td>21 September 2008</td><td>DF</td><td>84</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Yuel Helafu</td><td>2 September 2008</td><td>DF</td><td>89</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Jay McEvoy</td><td>16 October 2008</td><td>MF</td><td>85</td><td>Capped at Under-15 level</td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Jariyah Shah</td><td>25 May 2009</td><td>MF</td><td>83</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Louie Kynaston-Bradbury</td><td>16 September 2008</td><td>FW</td><td>87</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Neithan Barbosa</td><td>6 December 2008</td><td>FW</td><td>91</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Noah Ajayi</td><td>23 November 2008</td><td>FW</td><td>92</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Nathaniel-Junior Brown</td><td>18 December 2008</td><td>FW</td><td>90</td><td></td><td></td><td>July 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Under-16s</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Harley Emsden-James</td><td>13 March 2009</td><td>DF</td><td>93</td><td></td><td>Southampton</td><td>July 1, 2025</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Doula Nkoto Abdoulaye</td><td>27 September 2010</td><td>FW</td><td>94</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>JJ Gabriel</td><td>6 October 2010</td><td>FW</td><td>95</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Kai Rooney</td><td>2 November 2009</td><td>FW</td><td>96</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Charlie Hardy</td><td>14 July 2009</td><td>GK</td><td>97</td><td></td><td>Derby County</td><td>6 December 2025</td></tr></tbody></table>

Honours

• U18 Premier League • National Final Winners(1): 2023–24 • North Division Champions(2): 2017–18, 2023–24 • FA Youth Cup: 11 • 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1992, 1995, 2003, (/wiki/2010–11FAYouthCup#Final), (/wiki/2021–22FAYouthCup#Final) • U18 Premier League Cup: 1 • 2023–24 • Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup: 18 • 1954, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 2004, 2005 • Champions Youth Cup: 1 • 2007 • Lancashire League Division One: 12 • 1954–55, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98 • Lancashire League Division Two: 5 • 1964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1988–89, 1996–97 • Lancashire League Division One Supplementary Cup: 4 • 1954–55, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1963–64 • Lancashire League Division Two Supplementary Cup: 10 • 1955–56, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1976–77

• Trebles • U18 Premier League, U18 Premier League North, U18 Premier League Cup(1): 2023–24

• U16 Premier League Shield: 2 • 2024–25, 2025–26 • SuperCupNI: 7 • 1991, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2022

• U15 Premier League Super Cup: 1 • 2024–25 • U15 Premier League Cup North: 1 • 2024–25

Staff

Manchester United F.C. Under-21s and Academy

<table><thead><tr><th>Role</th><th>Name</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Director of Academy</td><td>Steve Torpey</td></tr><tr><td>Senior Academy Coach</td><td>Mark Dempsey</td></tr><tr><td>Head of Academy Football Development and Methodology</td><td>Darren Hughes</td></tr><tr><td>Head of Academy Recruitment</td><td>Connor Hunter</td></tr><tr><td>Under-21 Scout</td><td>Ian Broomfield</td></tr><tr><td>Head of Player Development and Coaching (U17–U21)</td><td>Darren Fletcher</td></tr><tr><td>Under-21 Head Coach</td><td>Adam Lawrence</td></tr><tr><td>Under-21 Assistant Head Coach</td><td>Alan Wright</td></tr><tr><td>Lead Academy Goalkeeping Coach (U21)</td><td>Tommy Lee</td></tr><tr><td>Academy Goalkeeping Coach</td><td>Christopher Backhouse</td></tr><tr><td>Under-21 Performance Analyst</td><td>Curtis Quinn</td></tr><tr><td>Under-18 Head Coach</td><td>Darren Fletcher</td></tr><tr><td>Under-18 Assistant Head Coach</td><td>Colin Little</td></tr><tr><td>Academy Goalkeeping Coach (U18)</td><td>Kevin Wolfe</td></tr><tr><td>Head of Academy Performance</td><td>Matt Walker</td></tr><tr><td>PDP Athletic Development Coach</td><td>Luke Lawrence</td></tr><tr><td>Head of Player Development (U13-16) and Under-16 Lead Coach</td><td>Tom Curtis</td></tr><tr><td>Under-15 Lead Coach</td><td>Tommy Rowe</td></tr><tr><td>Head of Player Development (U9-U13)</td><td>Eamon Mulvey</td></tr><tr><td>Under-14 Lead Coach</td><td>Vacant</td></tr><tr><td>Under-12 Lead Coach</td><td>Lee Unsworth</td></tr><tr><td>YDP Athletic Development Lead (U12–U16)</td><td>Alex Ouzounoglou</td></tr></tbody></table>

Notable youth team players

Manchester United F.C. Under-21s and Academy

The following is a list of players who have played in the Manchester United youth team (U16–U21) and represented a country (not necessarily their country of birth) at full international level. Players who are currently playing at Manchester United, or for another club on loan from Manchester United, are highlighted in bold.

Players of the Year

Manchester United F.C. Under-21s and Academy

Prior to 1990, a single award was presented to the best young player of that season. Between 1982 and 1985, this was the entitled "Young Player of the Year"; the award then became known as the "Denzil Haroun Young Player of the Year" between 1986 and 1989 in honour of Denzil Haroun, a former club director and brother-in-law of former club chairman Louis Edwards.

Since 1990, individual awards are made to the best player of the Academy and the Reserves. The "Young Player of the Year" is named in honour of Jimmy Murphy, Sir Matt Busby's long-time assistant manager, who died in 1989, and the best reserve is awarded the "Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year".

<table><thead><tr><th>Season</th><th>Supporters Club Young Player of the Year</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1982–83</td><td>Norman Whiteside</td></tr><tr><td>1983–84</td><td>Mark Hughes</td></tr><tr><td>1984–85</td><td>Mark Hughes</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Season</th><th>Denzil Haroun Young Player of the Year</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1985–86</td><td>Simon Ratcliffe</td></tr><tr><td>1986–87</td><td>Gary Walsh</td></tr><tr><td>1987–88</td><td>Lee Martin</td></tr><tr><td>1988–89</td><td>Mark Robins</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Season</th><th>Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year</th><th>Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1989–90</td><td>Lee Martin</td><td>Mark Robins</td></tr><tr><td>1990–91</td><td>Ryan Giggs</td><td>Jason Lydiate</td></tr><tr><td>1991–92</td><td>Ryan Giggs</td><td>Brian Carey</td></tr><tr><td>1992–93</td><td>Paul Scholes</td><td>Colin McKee</td></tr><tr><td>1993–94</td><td>Phil Neville</td><td>Nicky Butt</td></tr><tr><td>1994–95</td><td>Terry Cooke</td><td>Kevin Pilkington</td></tr><tr><td>1995–96</td><td>Ronnie Wallwork</td><td>Michael Appleton</td></tr><tr><td>1996–97</td><td>John Curtis</td><td>Michael Clegg</td></tr><tr><td>1997–98</td><td>Wes Brown</td><td>Michael Twiss</td></tr><tr><td>1998–99</td><td>Wes Brown</td><td>Mark Wilson</td></tr><tr><td>1999–2000</td><td>Bojan Djordjic</td><td>Jonathan Greening</td></tr><tr><td>2000–01</td><td>Alan Tate</td><td>Michael Stewart</td></tr><tr><td>2001–02</td><td>Paul Tierney</td><td>John O'Shea</td></tr><tr><td>2002–03</td><td>Ben Collett</td><td>Darren Fletcher</td></tr><tr><td>2003–04</td><td>Jonathan Spector</td><td>David Jones</td></tr><tr><td>2004–05</td><td>Giuseppe Rossi</td><td>Sylvan Ebanks-Blake</td></tr><tr><td>2005–06</td><td>Darron Gibson</td><td>Giuseppe Rossi</td></tr><tr><td>2006–07</td><td>Craig Cathcart</td><td>Kieran Lee</td></tr><tr><td>2007–08</td><td>Danny Welbeck</td><td>Richard Eckersley</td></tr><tr><td>2008–09</td><td>Federico Macheda</td><td>James Chester</td></tr><tr><td>2009–10</td><td>Will Keane</td><td>Ritchie De Laet</td></tr><tr><td>2010–11</td><td>Ryan Tunnicliffe</td><td>Oliver Gill</td></tr><tr><td>2011–12</td><td>Mats Møller Dæhli</td><td>Michael Keane</td></tr><tr><td>2012–13</td><td>Ben Pearson</td><td>Adnan Januzaj</td></tr><tr><td>2013–14</td><td>James Wilson</td><td>Saidy Janko</td></tr><tr><td>2014–15</td><td>Axel Tuanzebe</td><td>Andreas Pereira</td></tr><tr><td>2015–16</td><td>Marcus Rashford</td><td>Cameron Borthwick-Jackson</td></tr><tr><td>2016–17</td><td>Angel Gomes</td><td>Axel Tuanzebe</td></tr><tr><td>2017–18</td><td>Tahith Chong</td><td>Demetri Mitchell</td></tr><tr><td>2018–19</td><td>Mason Greenwood</td><td>Tahith Chong</td></tr><tr><td>2019–20</td><td>Anthony Elanga</td><td>James Garner</td></tr><tr><td>2020–21</td><td>Shola Shoretire</td><td>Hannibal Mejbri</td></tr><tr><td>2021–22</td><td>Alejandro Garnacho</td><td>Álvaro Fernández</td></tr><tr><td>2022–23</td><td>Kobbie Mainoo</td><td>Dan Gore</td></tr><tr><td>2023–24</td><td>Ethan Wheatley</td><td>Elyh Harrison</td></tr><tr><td>2024–25</td><td>Harry Amass</td><td>Tyler Fredricson</td></tr></tbody></table>