Manchester United’s faith in youth brings them back to the top of the table – The Irish News

Manchester United have relied the most on home-grown players in the Premier League this season, and their academy has also produced the most players for the top flight as a whole.

In a difficult season for Erik ten Hag’s side, their renowned youth policy remains a source of optimism and here, PA news agency looks at player development statistics.

United in front

PA have matched every player in this season’s top flight with the academy where they finished their youth career, and the figures show that 21 United Academy graduates have made appearances.

Ten of them played for United themselves, led by Alejandro Garnacho. The Argentina international, who joined United’s academy as a 16-year-old from Atletico Madrid, has played 2,805 league minutes, including stoppage time, with seven goals and four assists.

Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and emerging star Kobbie Mainoo also managed 2,000 minutes, while more than 1,500 for Jonny Evans, who made his debut in 2007 during a previous spell at United, provided a link to the club’s long-term reputation for youth development.

Their matchday squad has featured at least one academy graduate in an astonishing 4,259 consecutive first-team appearances dating back to October 1937.

Across the league, James Garner’s 3,372 minutes for Everton were the most of any United graduate, while Andreas Pereira, Teden Mengi, Anthony Elanga, Tahith Chong and Sam Johnstone also surpassed 2,000 .

United’s total of 34,076 minutes was 7,000 more than last season’s biggest academy Chelsea, whose graduates amassed 27,075 minutes this time around. Champions Manchester City were third with 20,684.

The Ten Hag have given more than a quarter of United’s playing time to internally developed players, 11,835 minutes out of a total of 42,297 (28%). No other club exceeded 20 per cent, with Chelsea second with 8,213 minutes – 19 per cent of their total of 42,562.

Leading academies

The Premier League’s biggest clubs are well represented in the study, with the top three followed by Liverpool in fourth (17,329 minutes) and Arsenal in sixth, sandwiching Nottingham Forest.

Relegated Sheffield United finished seventh, just ahead of top non-Premier League academies Flamengo and Barcelona. Blades’ Vinicius Souza (3,002 minutes) and Wolves’ Joao Gomes (2,930) were the Brazilian club’s top products, with Barca’s 10,578 minutes led by the ever-present Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s 3,850.

Everton completed the top 10 and Paris St Germain the 11th and last academy to have 10,000 minutes.

Charlton were the leading EFL club in 16th, with defenders Ezri Konsa, Alfie Doughty and Joe Gomez – regulars for Aston Villa, Luton and Liverpool respectively.

A total of 273 academies were represented, with 178 fielding just one player each, with Celta Vigo bringing in 11 minutes for Jonny before his departure from Wolves.

Hopes from home

Chelsea used 10 of their own academy players, equaling United, and were represented by a total of 24 graduates – although Jimi Tauriainen played just two minutes and he, Mason Burstow and Josh Acheampong totaled just half of hour.

Liverpool ranked third for playing time at home, with Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark and Jayden Danns among those logging a combined 7,069 minutes – almost 17 per cent of the Reds’ game time .

Newcastle and Crystal Palace complete the top five, but almost as remarkable is the other end of the table at home, where for the second consecutive season Brentford have not used any of their own academy graduates. Everton got a combined 11 minutes from Tom Cannon, Lewis Warrington and Tyler Onyango, while Luke Harris made just one appearance for Fulham.

Eighty-seven players have made Premier League appearances for the club that developed them, ranging from Tyrick Mitchell’s 3,551 minutes for Crystal Palace to Tauriainen and Onyango’s two minutes each.