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

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Manchester United F.C. Under-21s
Manchester United FC crest.svg
Full nameManchester United Football Club Under-21s
Nickname(s)The Red Devils, United
Founded1878, as Newton Heath Reserves
Ground Leigh Sports Village,
Leigh
Capacity12,000 [1]
Co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer
Manager Travis Binnion
League Premier League 2
2024–25 Premier League 2, 5th (league)
Semi-finals (Playoffs)
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

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 Travis Binnion, who took over from Mark Dempsey in 2023.

Contents

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. [2] Since 2014–15, the team play its home matches at Leigh Sports Village. [3] 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. [4] In previous seasons, the team has played at the Victoria Stadium, the home of Northwich Victoria, and Ewen Fields, the home of Hyde United. [5]

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

As of 10 July 2025 [6]

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
38 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Jack Fletcher
42 MF Flag of Mali.svg  MLI Sékou Koné
45 GK Ulster Banner.svg  NIR Dermot Mee
51 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Rhys Bennett
53 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Sam Mather
55 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Finley McAllister
58 MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Tyler Fletcher
59 MF Flag of Gibraltar.svg  GIB James Scanlon
61 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Shea Lacey
No.Pos.NationPlayer
63 GK Ulster Banner.svg  NIR William Murdock
65 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Reece Munro
69 FW Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  WAL Gabriele Biancheri
74 FW Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Malachi Sharpe
76 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Ashton Missin
78 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Victor Musa
80 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Jaydan Kamason
81 MF Flag of Ireland.svg  IRL Jacob Devaney
MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Jayce Fitzgerald

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.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
34 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Elyh Harrison (at Shrewsbury Town until 30 June 2026)
40 GK Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  CZE Radek Vítek (at Bristol City until 30 June 2026)
49 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Ethan Ennis (at Fleetwood Town until 30 June 2026)
52 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Joe Hugill (at Barnet until 30 June 2026)
54 DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Louis Jackson (at Solihull Moors until 30 June 2026)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
56 FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Ethan Williams (at Falkirk until 30 June 2026)
60 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Sonny Aljofree (at Notts County until 30 June 2026)
64 MF Flag of Ireland.svg  IRL Jack Moorhouse (at Leyton Orient until 30 June 2026)
66 DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Habeeb Ogunneye (at Newport County until 30 June 2026)
FW Flag of France.svg  FRA Enzo Kana-Biyik (at Lausanne-Sport until 30 June 2026)

Managerial history

YearsName
1946–1964 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Jimmy Murphy
1964–1969 Flag of England.svg Wilf McGuinness
1969–1970 Flag of England.svg John Aston Sr.
1970–1971 Flag of England.svg Wilf McGuinness
1971–1974 Flag of England.svg Bill Foulkes
1974–1981 Flag of England.svg Jack Crompton
1981–1991 Flag of England.svg Brian Whitehouse
1991–2000 Flag of England.svg Pop Robson
Flag of Scotland.svg Jimmy Ryan
2000–2001 Flag of England.svg Mike Phelan
2001–2002 Flag of Scotland.svg Brian McClair
2002 Flag of England.svg Mike Phelan
2002–2005 Flag of Scotland.svg Ricky Sbragia
2005–2006 Flag of Scotland.svg Brian McClair
2005–2006 Flag of the Netherlands.svg René Meulensteen
2006–2008 Flag of Scotland.svg Brian McClair
2008–2011 Flag of Norway.svg Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Flag of England.svg Warren Joyce [7] [8]
2011–2016 Flag of England.svg Warren Joyce [9]
2016–2017 Flag of England.svg Nicky Butt [10]
2017–2019 Flag of Scotland.svg Ricky Sbragia [11]
2019–2022 Flag of England.svg Neil Wood [12]
2022–2023 Flag of England.svg Mark Dempsey [13]
2023–2025 Flag of Ireland.svg Travis Binnion
2025– Flag of Scotland.svg Darren Fletcher [14]

Honours

Under-18s

Manchester United F.C. Under-18s
Manchester United FC crest.svg
Full nameManchester United Football Club Under-18s
Nickname(s)The Red Devils, United
Founded1998
Ground Trafford Training Centre
Carrington
Co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer
Head coach Darren Fletcher
League U18 Premier League North
2024–25 U18 Premier League, 2nd (North)
Did not qualify (national)

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

As of 3 July 2025 [15] [16]

Nat.PlayerDate of birthPositionNumberInternational capsPrevious clubJoined
2nd Year Scholars
Flag of England.svg Cameron Byrne-Hughes2 November 2007 (age 17)GK94July 2024
Flag of England.svg Fred Heath25 September 2007 (age 17)GK93July 2024
Flag of Scotland.svg Daniel Armer23 October 2007 (age 17)DF75Capped at Under-19 levelJuly 2024
Flag of England.svg Albert Mills28 February 2008 (age 17)DF86July 2024
Flag of England.svg Dante Plunkett9 October 2007 (age 17)DF84 Aston Villa July 2024
Flag of England.svg Godwill Kukonki 6 February 2008 (age 17)DF72Capped at Under-17 levelJuly 2024
Flag of Scotland.svg James Overy 9 November 2007 (age 17)DF91Capped at Under-19 level Newton Abbot Spurs September 2024
Flag of England.svg Rafe McCormack14 December 2008 (age 16)DFCapped at Under-16 levelJuly 2025
Flag of Ireland.svg Jay McEvoy16 October 2008 (age 16)MFCapped at Under-15 levelJuly 2025
Flag of England.svg Jim Thwaites20 December 2007 (age 17)MF77July 2024
Flag of England.svg James Bailey29 December 2007 (age 17)MF89 Burnley July 2024
Flag of England.svg Amir Ibragimov 2 April 2008 (age 17)MF73Capped at Under-16 level Sheffield United July 2024
Flag of England.svg Bendito Mantato 25 January 2008 (age 17)FW70Capped at Under-17 levelJuly 2024
Flag of Slovakia.svg Samuel Lusale 7 September 2007 (age 18)FWCapped at Under-19 level Crystal Palace September 2024
1st Year Scholars [17]

Honours

Staff

RoleName
Director of Academy Flag of England.svg Steve Torpey [21]
Senior Academy Coach Flag of England.svg Mark Dempsey [14]
Head of Academy Recruitment Flag of England.svg Luke Fedorenko [22]
Head of Player Development and Coaching (U19–U23) Flag of Ireland.svg Travis Binnion [14]
Under-21 Head Coach
Under-21 Assistant Head Coach Flag of England.svg David Horseman
Under-21 Coach Flag of England.svg Tommy Rowe
Lead Academy Goalkeeping Coach (U21) Tommy Lee [14]
Academy Goalkeeping CoachChristopher Backhouse [23]
Under-21 Performance AnalystCurtis Quinn [23]
Head of Player Development (U13–U16)Tom Curtis [24]
Under-18 Head Coach Flag of Scotland.svg Darren Fletcher [25]
Under-18 Assistant Head Coach Flag of England.svg Colin Little
Academy Goalkeeping Coach (U18)Kevin Wolfe [14]
Head of Academy PerformanceMatt Walker [23]
PDP Athletic Development Coach Flag of England.svg Luke Lawrence [23]
Under-16 Lead CoachVacant
Under-15 Lead CoachVacant
Academy Programme AdvisorEamon Mulvey [23]
Under-13 Lead CoachVacant
Under-12 Lead Coach Flag of England.svg Lee Unsworth [26]
YDP Athletic Development Lead (U12–U16)Alex Ouzounoglou [23]

Notable youth team players

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. [27] 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

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".

SeasonSupporters Club
Young Player of the Year
1982–83 Norman Whiteside
1983–84 Mark Hughes
1984–85 Mark Hughes
SeasonDenzil Haroun
Young Player of the Year
1985–86 Simon Ratcliffe
1986–87 Gary Walsh
1987–88 Lee Martin
1988–89 Mark Robins
SeasonJimmy Murphy
Young Player of the Year [28]
Denzil Haroun
Reserve Team Player of the Year [29]
1989–90 Lee Martin Mark Robins
1990–91 Ryan Giggs Jason Lydiate
1991–92 Ryan Giggs Brian Carey
1992–93 Paul Scholes Colin McKee
1993–94 Phil Neville Nicky Butt
1994–95 Terry Cooke Kevin Pilkington
1995–96 Ronnie Wallwork Michael Appleton
1996–97 John Curtis Michael Clegg
1997–98 Wes Brown Michael Twiss
1998–99 Wes Brown Mark Wilson
1999–2000 Bojan Djordjic Jonathan Greening
2000–01 Alan Tate Michael Stewart
2001–02 Paul Tierney John O'Shea
2002–03 Ben Collett Darren Fletcher
2003–04 Jonathan Spector David Jones
2004–05 Giuseppe Rossi Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
2005–06 Darron Gibson Giuseppe Rossi
2006–07 [30] Craig Cathcart Kieran Lee
2007–08 [31] Danny Welbeck Richard Eckersley
2008–09 [32] Federico Macheda James Chester
2009–10 Will Keane [28] Ritchie De Laet [29]
2010–11 Ryan Tunnicliffe [33] Oliver Gill [34]
2011–12 Mats Møller Dæhli [35] Michael Keane [36]
2012–13 Ben Pearson [37] Adnan Januzaj [38]
2013–14 James Wilson [39] Saidy Janko [40]
2014–15 Axel Tuanzebe [41] Andreas Pereira [42]
2015–16 Marcus Rashford [43] Cameron Borthwick-Jackson [44]
2016–17 Angel Gomes [45] Axel Tuanzebe [46]
2017–18 Tahith Chong [47] Demetri Mitchell [48]
2018–19 Mason Greenwood [49] Tahith Chong [50]
2019–20 Anthony Elanga [51] James Garner [52]
2020–21 Shola Shoretire [53] Hannibal Mejbri [54]
2021–22 Alejandro Garnacho [55] Álvaro Fernández [56]
2022–23 Kobbie Mainoo [57] Dan Gore [58]
2023–24 Ethan Wheatley [59] Elyh Harrison [60]
2024–25 Harry Amass [61] Tyler Fredricson [62]

References

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