Manchester United's youth are 'thriving' despite U-23 relegation | OneFootball

Manchester United academy boss Nicky Butt has insisted that the club’s fabled youth system is “thriving” despite the under-23s being relegated from Premier League 2 on Monday.

The Red Devils hold a proud tradition of having at least one graduate in every first team squad since 1937.

Scott McTominay has been the latest youngster to make the grade, whilst Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard are now established senior stars after making it at Carrington.

Butt, who came through the academy himself as a former player, believes the fortunes of the under-23 side are completely irrelevant.

“If you are not around the first team at 20 or 21 you’re not going to be, it’s a fact,” he told the BBC.

“We are expected to develop players for Manchester United and bring them into the first team. In that respect, I think the academy is thriving massively.”

The Old Trafford kids actually clinched the Under-18 Premier League northern title with a 2-1 victory over rivals City this weekend.

And Butt has claimed that the real test of an academy is at under-21 level and younger, rather than the under-23 system, which replaced the old reserve league.

“It was open-age football in a stadium with 5,000 people watching,” says Butt.

“Flick that over to now: sometimes we go and play at a training pitch on a Tuesday afternoon with no fans and no first-team players.”