On-pitch contributions help but these comments will do no harm to the United faithful.
It seemed as if Manchester United’s famed academy was running dry or, at best, producing merely competent professionals.
How David Moyes or Louis van Gaal could have done with calling on a new generation like the Class of ’92 during their stints at Old Trafford. Instead, fans had to to contend with the likes of Tyler Blackett, Sam Johnstone and Paddy McNair.
Things are looking up, this season, with the emergence of Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard into regular rotation with the senior team. Following his recent purple patch with United, and England call-up, Lingard told his club website how close he came to joining Liverpool back in the early 2000s. He said:
“I was at a local club Penketh United and Mike Glennie, a Manchester United scout, came to watch me.
“He spoke to my granddad and offered me trials but there was also interest from Liverpool and I had to pick.
“I was only young but obviously my heart was with United at the time.”
“Going through the years,” Lingard continues, “I was with Larnell Cole, Mike and Will Keane, Sam [Johnstone], Ravel [Morrison] and Ryan Tunnicliffe. There are a lot of lads still doing their thing at other clubs and they’re happy seeing me where I am.
“I’ve won a lot of trophies – like the FA Youth Cup and the Reserves league a couple of times – but it would top it off to win the Premier League with the first team.”
Lingard will need to keep up his recent run of good form, and for his teammates to follow his lead, if he is to have a chance of achieving that goal this season.
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