This season’s Manchester United highlights reel is hardly vintage but Marcus Rashford’s cameo contribution to it offers a glimpse of more entertaining times ahead.
United’s established names and big-money signings have laboured under the much-maligned Louis van Gaal with Thursday’s Europa League defeat by Liverpool the latest low.
But in Rashford, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Jesse Lingard, Will Keane and James Wilson to name but a few, there is evidence that the club’s famed Academy production line is still in working order.
Injuries to first-teamers may have forced Van Gaal’s hand to some extent, but United’s new generation have shown promise when called upon — particularly 18-year-old Rashford who marked his debut with two goals against Danish club FC Midtjylland and a few days later scored another brace against Arsenal.
Nicky Butt, part of the class of 92′ along with David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville and Paul Scholes, was recently promoted to Academy Director and the former midfielder says the recipe for United’s success is still home-grown.
After £280 million spent by Van Gaal for no visible improvement, it is a sound philosophy.
“United have always been very proud of their record of youth development,” Butt, who benefited from former manager Alex Ferguson’s passion for blooding young players, said at the club’s Carrington training ground this week.
“It’s a massive part of the club’s history.”
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