United committed to raising homegrown talent
Despite being one of the world’s richest and most successful clubs, United have always retained an impressive commitment to youth development.
Matt Busby began the tradition of the Red Devils nurturing their own with his cherished “Babes” and Alex Ferguson willingly carried it on, first through his “Fledglings”, then the famed “Class of 92”, which spawned Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Robbie Savage and Keith Gillespie.
The focus on youth is particularly poignant just now, as on April 7 United will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Busby’s first league title.
United are using the commemoration to launch the new “Manchester United Foundation”, a charity set up by the club which they hope will benefit youth and communities across the world.
Underpinning it all, Gill claims, will be a renewed commitment to the history and heritage of United. “We are making a statement about the true values of Manchester United,” said Gill.
“We love winning trophies and if we had to win them without local players we would. But I don’t think that will ever be the Manchester United way.”
The United side that won this season’s Carling Cup contained five home-grown players, a figure which contrasts sharply with Chelsea, whose current first-team squad boasts only two players - John Terry and Carlton Cole - who began their professional careers with the London outfit.
Chelsea have started to realise the value in nurturing youngsters and are now involved in an unseemly wrangle over the future of teenage Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel, who United expected to be their player by now.
Having already succeeded in recruiting teenage duo Giuseppe Rossi and Gerard Pique from Italy and Spain respectively, United have proved the search for promising youngsters is no longer confined to Manchester, or even the United Kingdom.
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