It’s not all about big money buys at Old Trafford
Manchester United are top of the league when it comes to promoting players from their academy to the first team, it has been revealed.
The Red Devils have given 14 youth products their Premier League debut since the 2010-11 season, two more than any other club and more than twice the number of rivals Manchester City and Chelsea, on six.
Liverpool fare a little better, with eight, while Arsenal have managed 10. Stoke come in at the bottom of the rankings with just two players making their top-flight bow in the past five seasons.
Academy graduates making Premier League debuts since 2010-11:
14: Manchester United
12: Watford
11: Aston Villa, Southampton
10: Arsenal
8: Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham
6: Chelsea, Everton, Manchester City
However, in a sign of the turmoil at United in recent seasons, only one of those 14 players has actually gone on to play 25 times for the club, a mark reached by five of 11 graduates at Aston Villa.
Graduates making 25+ appearances:
5: Aston Villa
3: Tottenham, Newcastle, Southampton
2: Arsenal, Liverpool
1: Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Everton, Leicester, Man United, Stoke, Swansea, Watford, West Brom
0: Chelsea, Man City, Norwich, Sunderland, West Ham
[h/t Metro]
