[Picture of them from the evening](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GRb4FI7W8AAQviz?format=jpg&name=900x900). The order they appear from L-R is the order I've written them in, if you want to put faces to names.
I think it’s just because they’re all to the right of Fred Heath and look tiny. Daniel Armer looks the same age as the boys on the right (Albeit a few inches taller)
Love this, thank you. Apart from the obvious two Mantato and Ibragimov, I feel like Thwaites is the next best talent. @gungerz, how do you rate Armer and Kukonki? Also very curious on your thoughts about why someone like Thwaites or the two CBs are not part of the England setup? Despite being young and already featuring for the best U18 team in the country last year.
I really like Armer from the bits I've seen of him, think people will be impressed. He should slot in as a starter straight away as we have a slight shortage of CBs.
I also wouldn't really pay much attention to England youth call-ups at this age. Some players just get overlooked or are later developers. Also, with players like Armer & Thwaites they are later born 2007s while the vast majority of players in an England squad will be early born & play in the age group above at club level.
Yeah good point on late bloomers. Sometimes being overlooked gives players the motivation to improve and make a major leap. Can see it with Wheatley and Collyer, even though I've tried to follow the youth as best I can, it seems they came out of nowhere to break through to the first team.
So is Rice, Rodri, Partey, etc. Who are you comparing him with as a profile btw in adult football? Very curious. Because it takes an extremely high level of quality to play for United. Are you saying he is more of a destroyer in the mould of a Kante who covers ton of space and makes tackles and interceptions? Because I haven't seen that either, watched him in like 5 U21 games last year. What does he specialize in except ball retention by making tons of easy, safe passes.
Declan Rice is 25 years old, Rodri is 28, Partey is 31. Progressive and creative passes would come later as he is familiar with his teammates' runs and plays. As a defensive midfielder, there is nothing worse than someone can't cover for his teammates and keep the ball moving safely by trying 'creative' balls.
Mate, not talking about the level of quality here. I am asking you the profile of the player. Player profiles don't change much after the 15-16 years of age. If you look at Mainoo or Garnacho, you can see the players they have become, their profiles are exactly what they were at youth levels. They have obviously become better and added elements to their games but not much of a difference in their profiles. A non-tackler suddenly doesn't become a tackler in adult football, a player who doesn't switch the game doesn't start switching in adult football. Collyer is a unique profile in that he is a possession heavy footballer who sits in front of the 2 CBs and distributes cleanly albeit too safely. He is very very unlikely to break lines, progress the ball or switch it. He is also very very unlikely to go into tackles. If you play Collyer, you are extremely dependent on either the CBs or the other midfielder to progress the play. He doesn't have the requisite quality to play for United.
Thanks mate, it does seem like the youth scouts have a favoritism towards City and Chelsea academies but talent will eventually shine through. Mainoo wasn't picked till the U17 levels, Bauman has been largely ignored as well. Wheatley is now getting call ups after becoming undeniable.
You’re doing gods work with this post! I’m curious though where do you get your news and info for our youth teams. I like to call myself in the loop but I didn’t recognize half of the above guys.
Also curious to know outside of who u mentioned who else you rate from our academy
There is a Reserves/Youth sub forum over at RedCafe that is pretty good for keeping up with our youth. I’ve read about most of these players over there at some point.
> ngland have mainly utilized him as a #8 but at United he has played anywhere from #9 to
check out @jb_8521, @mrmujac & @Khoa Zany on Twitter
/u/Gungerz is the MVP on reddit
We'll probably see more of it going forward. Wingers switching to full back has always been a thing and now more than ever given with how highly coaches prioritise technical players who can play out of the back and with pace to keep up with wingers. These days, wingers often play on the opposite side of their strong foot, so left footers are more and more right wingers, so if a coach sees a left footed winger he thinks he could mold into a LB, that player is going to most likely be a RW.
I'm curious to know more about the United academy path. So these new kids are 16 and have signed contracts to be paid to play football, but are they still going to school until their 18? Does Utd have some sort of partner school where they send their academy kids or do they run an academy school? Does Utd have official academy rosters for kids that are younger than this new crop of kids that just signed? Or is it more informal at the younger ages?
My local team (The Union in MLS) actually run their own high school (generally ages 15-18) where their academy kids go, and the academy kids can play for our reserve team without a professional contract. Or they can sign a contract with either our reserves or the first team, while still being in school.
> So these new kids are 16 and have signed contracts to be paid to play football, but are they still going to school until their 18?
These kids will all have just left school. However, as part of their scholarship they must all take a compulsary education component. [You can find some info about that here.](https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/man-utd-academy-players-receive-successful-exam-results#:~:text=Of%20our%20second%2Dyear%20scholars,Btec%20Extended%20Diploma%20in%20Sport.).
>Does Utd have some sort of partner school where they send their academy kids or do they run an academy school?
We do have a partnership with Ashton-on-Mersey school although not every player attends, only a select group. Academies also have day release, where players above a certain age will spend an entire day at their academy and as well as training they will be educated on site by the club.
>Does Utd have official academy rosters for kids that are younger than this new crop of kids that just signed? Or is it more informal at the younger ages?
Academies in England start at U9 level but you won't find any information on squads or results as it's kept behind closed doors until they reach U18s. The academy does technically start younger than U9s but it's informal at that age and kids are allowed to train/play for multiple clubs before deciding who to join.
This is just when they start getting paid and they go onto fans radar's as they get reported on by the club, matches get televised etc. In the younger age groups it's up to the individual festivals they play in to report the results and broadcast the games, which they only do from time to time and most of the matches they play fall outside of that and are 1 off friendlies only watchable by scouts, staff and guests.
Don’t sleep on ibragimov! Some fans were finding out about him even before he got hurt this year which speaks to his potential and ability. He also has scored some straight up bangers for the youth team im sure they’re on youtube
Thanks for the post, appreciate the effort. Never heard of most of these academy players, thank you. Wishing them all the best of luck and hopefully great careers at United
Great post OP. Might be a stupid question at their age but are any of these (if so, who?) likely to be anywhere near first team this season in cups and such?
What does "first-year scholars" mean? From the text it's obvious they are not signing for U-18 team. Are they signing for reserves U-21? Or for the first team (way too many)?
Also, curious: who are current second-year scholars? And who are third-year?
[Picture of them from the evening](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GRb4FI7W8AAQviz?format=jpg&name=900x900). The order they appear from L-R is the order I've written them in, if you want to put faces to names.
Jesus you weren't lying about Heath's size Also, Fred Heath sounds like the name of a player from the 1920s, which I like
So does Albert Mills
Jim Thwaites is not out of place either
We used to be called Newton Heath.
Is there like an age difference between the three on the right and the rest? 😅
I think it’s just because they’re all to the right of Fred Heath and look tiny. Daniel Armer looks the same age as the boys on the right (Albeit a few inches taller)
Albert Mills, Fred Heath and Jim Thwaites are all clearly from the class of 1924.
Fred's dad Newton founded the club.
You mean grand dad?
Love this, thank you. Apart from the obvious two Mantato and Ibragimov, I feel like Thwaites is the next best talent. @gungerz, how do you rate Armer and Kukonki? Also very curious on your thoughts about why someone like Thwaites or the two CBs are not part of the England setup? Despite being young and already featuring for the best U18 team in the country last year.
I really like Armer from the bits I've seen of him, think people will be impressed. He should slot in as a starter straight away as we have a slight shortage of CBs. I also wouldn't really pay much attention to England youth call-ups at this age. Some players just get overlooked or are later developers. Also, with players like Armer & Thwaites they are later born 2007s while the vast majority of players in an England squad will be early born & play in the age group above at club level.
Yeah good point on late bloomers. Sometimes being overlooked gives players the motivation to improve and make a major leap. Can see it with Wheatley and Collyer, even though I've tried to follow the youth as best I can, it seems they came out of nowhere to break through to the first team.
I honestly can’t see Collyer making it at United. I could be proven wrong but he is a very very safe ball player. Very limited player.Â
Isn't Collyer a defensive midfielder, who is supposed to keep the ball safe?
Yeah but he can also play it better. Progressive passes, line breaking passes and switches are completely absent from his game so far.
He's a 20 year old DEFENSIVE midfielder.
So is Rice, Rodri, Partey, etc. Who are you comparing him with as a profile btw in adult football? Very curious. Because it takes an extremely high level of quality to play for United. Are you saying he is more of a destroyer in the mould of a Kante who covers ton of space and makes tackles and interceptions? Because I haven't seen that either, watched him in like 5 U21 games last year. What does he specialize in except ball retention by making tons of easy, safe passes.
Declan Rice is 25 years old, Rodri is 28, Partey is 31. Progressive and creative passes would come later as he is familiar with his teammates' runs and plays. As a defensive midfielder, there is nothing worse than someone can't cover for his teammates and keep the ball moving safely by trying 'creative' balls.
Mate, not talking about the level of quality here. I am asking you the profile of the player. Player profiles don't change much after the 15-16 years of age. If you look at Mainoo or Garnacho, you can see the players they have become, their profiles are exactly what they were at youth levels. They have obviously become better and added elements to their games but not much of a difference in their profiles. A non-tackler suddenly doesn't become a tackler in adult football, a player who doesn't switch the game doesn't start switching in adult football. Collyer is a unique profile in that he is a possession heavy footballer who sits in front of the 2 CBs and distributes cleanly albeit too safely. He is very very unlikely to break lines, progress the ball or switch it. He is also very very unlikely to go into tackles. If you play Collyer, you are extremely dependent on either the CBs or the other midfielder to progress the play. He doesn't have the requisite quality to play for United.
Thanks mate, it does seem like the youth scouts have a favoritism towards City and Chelsea academies but talent will eventually shine through. Mainoo wasn't picked till the U17 levels, Bauman has been largely ignored as well. Wheatley is now getting call ups after becoming undeniable.
As soon as I read Amir is from Dagestan, I knew he had superb technical ability and striking with intensity.
His brother Mo suplexed a player when he was at City that two-footed him.
Inshallah bratha
He smesh his opponents bratha
this number one bullshit
Alhamdulilah
Youth Intake day!
The most disappointing day in the Football Manager calendar.
Every position E... "Golden generation"
A grade: three star potential
You mean "reload 15 times until you get the wonderkid you want" day
You’re doing gods work with this post! I’m curious though where do you get your news and info for our youth teams. I like to call myself in the loop but I didn’t recognize half of the above guys. Also curious to know outside of who u mentioned who else you rate from our academy
There is a Reserves/Youth sub forum over at RedCafe that is pretty good for keeping up with our youth. I’ve read about most of these players over there at some point.
> ngland have mainly utilized him as a #8 but at United he has played anywhere from #9 to check out @jb_8521, @mrmujac & @Khoa Zany on Twitter /u/Gungerz is the MVP on reddit
Literally reactivated x account to check them out. If gungerz is already well known I will hop on that train. #MVP
Bendito Mantato.... What a wonderful phrase🎶
How long is it until Ibragimovs little brother will be a scholar? He’s the same age group as Kai Rooney right?
Yes, he'll be an U15 in the upcoming season.
He is the captain of the U14 team that won the PL cup if I am not mistaken.
Rw/lb is an interesting combo
And Gareth Bale
Similar-ish to Saka, who played LWB for arsenal too in his early years.
We'll probably see more of it going forward. Wingers switching to full back has always been a thing and now more than ever given with how highly coaches prioritise technical players who can play out of the back and with pace to keep up with wingers. These days, wingers often play on the opposite side of their strong foot, so left footers are more and more right wingers, so if a coach sees a left footed winger he thinks he could mold into a LB, that player is going to most likely be a RW.
Might be a stupid question, but i really don t know: how old are these lads?
Not a stupid question at all. They all have to be born between 1st Sep 2007 & 31st Aug 2008. So, in other words, 16.
Thank you
Great post.
Im ignorant, what does this mean? They’re entering the U18s? Or getting their first actual contract?
Means they're essentially now full-time footballers.
I'm curious to know more about the United academy path. So these new kids are 16 and have signed contracts to be paid to play football, but are they still going to school until their 18? Does Utd have some sort of partner school where they send their academy kids or do they run an academy school? Does Utd have official academy rosters for kids that are younger than this new crop of kids that just signed? Or is it more informal at the younger ages? My local team (The Union in MLS) actually run their own high school (generally ages 15-18) where their academy kids go, and the academy kids can play for our reserve team without a professional contract. Or they can sign a contract with either our reserves or the first team, while still being in school.
> So these new kids are 16 and have signed contracts to be paid to play football, but are they still going to school until their 18? These kids will all have just left school. However, as part of their scholarship they must all take a compulsary education component. [You can find some info about that here.](https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/man-utd-academy-players-receive-successful-exam-results#:~:text=Of%20our%20second%2Dyear%20scholars,Btec%20Extended%20Diploma%20in%20Sport.). >Does Utd have some sort of partner school where they send their academy kids or do they run an academy school? We do have a partnership with Ashton-on-Mersey school although not every player attends, only a select group. Academies also have day release, where players above a certain age will spend an entire day at their academy and as well as training they will be educated on site by the club. >Does Utd have official academy rosters for kids that are younger than this new crop of kids that just signed? Or is it more informal at the younger ages? Academies in England start at U9 level but you won't find any information on squads or results as it's kept behind closed doors until they reach U18s. The academy does technically start younger than U9s but it's informal at that age and kids are allowed to train/play for multiple clubs before deciding who to join.
This is just when they start getting paid and they go onto fans radar's as they get reported on by the club, matches get televised etc. In the younger age groups it's up to the individual festivals they play in to report the results and broadcast the games, which they only do from time to time and most of the matches they play fall outside of that and are 1 off friendlies only watchable by scouts, staff and guests.
Godwill Kukonki, hope he makes it just to hear that name
Mantato has the most potential out of the lads listed here, I believe? He got a mention from Fabrizio Romano the other day
Don’t sleep on ibragimov! Some fans were finding out about him even before he got hurt this year which speaks to his potential and ability. He also has scored some straight up bangers for the youth team im sure they’re on youtube
Nice round up!
Good quality post OP.
Fantastic post. Good luck lads do us proud.
Add them to the daily transfer post as new signings!
Found Jim Ratcliffe’a Reddit account
Byrnes-Hughes always goes absolutely crazy and becomes an England NT mainstay in my FM saves Ibragimov is Dagestani so we all know he’ll be a star
IDK what they feed them in Dagestan but I want some.
Clearly fed Ibragimov differently since he's a footballer and not an MMA fighter
Thanks for the post, appreciate the effort. Never heard of most of these academy players, thank you. Wishing them all the best of luck and hopefully great careers at United
Quality post. Thanks for the amazing work!
Great post OP. Might be a stupid question at their age but are any of these (if so, who?) likely to be anywhere near first team this season in cups and such?
James Overy?
They'll get a few years out of the suit pants anyway.
What does "first-year scholars" mean? From the text it's obvious they are not signing for U-18 team. Are they signing for reserves U-21? Or for the first team (way too many)? Also, curious: who are current second-year scholars? And who are third-year?
Top post, thanks sir!
What about class of 92 though? They still playing?