When Erik ten Hag selected Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Elanga for his squad against West Ham on Sunday, he ensured the continuation of a remarkable Manchester United tradition: in every game since the game against Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 30. October 1937, there was a local player in the matchday squad. In more than 4,000 consecutive games in league, cup and European competition, there has always been at least one graduate from United’s youth system, writes Jim White.
The process began in the early 1930s when club secretary Walter Crickmer and head scout Louis Rocca set up the Manchester United Junior Athletic Club. The purpose of the MUJAC was both economic and sentimental; it was designed to save money for a club, which had only recently faced bankruptcy, by getting rid of the best young talent early, thus reducing the demand for large transfer fees. And it was a philosophy that was later adopted wholeheartedly by United’s two great managers: Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson. Both believed that a club’s identity is forged with its youth; seeing one of their own represent them on the turf brings the hobby closer to the operation. Busby’s concept came to fruition with the Babes and informed their entire selection process: between the signing of Tommy Taylor in March 1953 and the addition of Harry Gregg in December 1957, he paid no transfer fees for single player The peak of Fergie’s Fledglings was the Class of 92, the Youth Cup winning team with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers who were the core and conscience of his teams for more of a time decade
It has since become such an essential element of the club’s identity that managers are expected to ensure there is always youth representation. Even Jose Mourinho – not someone who in his career has shown much interest in youth promotion – kept it up during his time at Old Trafford. Indeed, a big part of the reason for appointing Ten Hag from Ajax in the summer was his history of encouraging local talent.
Interestingly, the club itself was unaware of the level of enduring consistency of its selection policy until it was discovered in 2010. Historian Tony Park was researching his comprehensive chronicle of youth players called Sons of United. And going through old records, he began to see a pattern, going back to that starting point in October 1937.
“Looking back, I discovered that the game before Fulham’s against Sheffield Wednesday had no youth team players involved,” he tells Telegraph Sport. “That was the beginning.”
Thus an unbroken tradition was revealed, which no other club in the country can match. And one that, on top of that, has Hag showing no signs of cracking.
United’s greatest ever youth team graduated in the 85 years since the record began
1930: Tom Manley and Jackie Wassell (the two home players chosen for the Fulham game)
1940: Stan Pearson and Johnny Carey
1950: Duncan Edwards, Bobby Charlton and the Busby Babes
1960: George Best and Nobby Stiles
1970: Sammy McIlroy and Arthur Albiston
1980s: Mark Hughes and Norman Whiteside
90s: Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the class of 92
2000s: Wes Brown and Darren Fletcher
2010s: Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba
2020s: Alexander Garnacho and Anthony Elanga