take great pride in their youth set-up. From the memorable Busby Babes to the Class of ‘92 to the current roster of academy stars, there are very few clubs that can mimic their conveyor belt of young talent that has been churned out over the years. Becoming the beautiful game’s leading talisman has become commonplace for footballers that have emerged from the club’s academy ranks, such as Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best, while the likes of Marcus Rashford are now considered to be the face of Carrington.
Legendary manager Sir explained why relying on youth is such a ‘fantastic thing’, saying: “Giving young people an opportunity is a fantastic thing, and they very seldom let you down. These lads never let me down when they put that jersey on.” Here are the 10 greatest Manchester United academy graduates from the club’s long and storied history ranked in order.
The late, great Sir was more than just a footballer. A figurehead in the world of football, firing the Red Devils to European Cup glory in 1968 - a decade after surviving the Munich Air Disaster - is his most memorable moment on the turf. To showcase his importance to Manchester United’s long-standing tradition, only Ryan Giggs has played more games for the club.
The greatest players that England has produced down the years - ranked in order. Cementing himself in a very exclusive club, Ashington-born Charlton won the Ballon d’Or while plying his trade at Old Trafford and picked up a long list of collective awards during his 17-year stint between 1956 and 1973, all while being remembered as one of . The glittering forward possessed a thunderous strike, could dictate play with his pinpoint passing and was as fleet-footed as they came.
Sir Bobby Charlton – Manchester United Career Appearances 758 Goals 249 Assists 18 Honours European Cup (67/68); First Division (56/57, 64/65, 66/67); FA Cup (1963); Community Shield (65/66, 67/68) Off-the-field controversy aside, there were not many footballers who were - technically - on the same level as Manchester United’s . The Belfast Boy’s influence transcended being on the pitch - but that’s not disregarding his footballing exploits. Poster boy Best played in an array of countries across the globe, though his most prominent stint came in England.
In an era of muddy pitches and treacherous conditions, the former Northern Ireland international, widely believed to be one of , made maintaining possession look like second nature, irrespective of how many opponents were trying to get the ball off him. A one-of-a-kind footballer who will be forever remembered for all manner of reasons. George Best – Manchester United Career Appearances 474 Goals 179 Assists 11 Honours European Cup (67/68); First Division (64/65, 66/67); FA Cup (1963); Community Shield (65/66, 67/68) There is every chance that Duncan Edwards would have asserted himself as one of the greatest players to ever live - but his career, and life, was cut short.
The English phenomenon tragically died as a result of the Munich Air Disaster, but he endeared himself to the club and its fanbase as their resident powerhouse, who was able to play in a myriad of positions across the pitch. A shining star of the Busby Babes, Edwards is recognised as one of the first footballers who could do it all: be tough in a tackle, glide past players with relative ease, jump above the rest to win a header. What’s better, the Dudley-born ace could string display after display together without putting a foot wrong - he made playing football to the highest degree look so simple.
Duncan Edwards – Manchester United Career Appearances 151 Goals 20 Assists 0 Honours First Division (55/56, 56/57); Community Shield (56/57) Vivid flashes of , with his chest hair poking out of his collar, dancing around the Arsenal side in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final will forever stick in the memory of every fan. The left wing sensation was phenomenal to watch, with his dribbling ability and sheer pace packed in abundance - more than enough to lift bums off seats. Ryan Giggs has racked up the most assists in Premier League history (162).
Kevin De Bruyne (112) and Cesc Fabregas (111) are in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Boasting 963 outings, the most in the club’s storied history, the Welshman became one of the most decorated footballers in world football, securing a grand total of 25 major honours - including 13 titles and a pair of Champions Leagues. What’s more, his longevity is practically unmatched, with the star reinventing himself into a cultured central midfielder when the trials and tribulations of English top flight football took its toll.
Ryan Giggs – Manchester United Career Appearances 952 Goals 164 Assists 253 Honours Champions League (98/99, 07/08); FIFA Club World Cup (2009); Premier League (92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 96/97, 98/99, 99/00, 00/01, 02/03, 06/07, 07/08, 08/09, 10/11, 12/13); UEFA Super Cup (90/91); FA Cup (1994, 1996, 1999, 2004); League Cup (1992, 2006, 2009, 2010); Community Shield (93/94, 94/95, 96/97, 97/98, 03/04, 07/08, 08/09, 10/11, 13/14); Intercontinental Cup (1999) Now spotted on television screens providing insight into the beautiful game, was once one of the most effortless-looking footballers in the world and managed to win every trophy under the sun with Manchester United. Able to place a long pass on a sixpence, the Salford-born central midfielder was nicknamed ‘The Ginger Price’ for a reason. One-club men are a dying art but Scholes, who played 713 times after emerging from the academy, had the club’s tradition, history and values coursing through his veins.
A two-time Champions League and 11-time Premier League winner, the pale-faced technician - widely recognised as one of - dictated games with ease. Paul Scholes – Manchester United Career Appearances 713 Goals 153 Assists 81 Honours Champions League (98/99, 07/08); FIFA Club World Cup (2009); Premier League (95/96, 96/97, 98/99, 99/00, 00/01, 02/03, 06/07, 07/08, 08/09, 10/11, 12/13); FA Cup (1994, 1996, 1999, 2004); League Cup (2009, 2010); Community Shield (96/97, 97/98, 03/04, 08/09, 10/11); Intercontinental Cup (1999) Boasting a career like no other, ’s superstardom - both on and off the pitch - made him a memorable figure, especially in the red of Manchester United. Initially coming through Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, the lure of Ferguson saw a fresh-faced Becks arrive at Carrington, ready and raring to become one of the Manchester-based club’s best assets to ever play for them.
Manchester United's 13 Premier League titles have been underpinned by some of the competition's greatest midfielders. Here are the 10 best. And the rest is history.
A paramount piece of the fabled Class of '92 alongside some of those in this list, the midfielder’s ability to produce a moment of magic when his side needed him the most was unimaginable. A free-kick specialist, too, the London-born technician - who plundered 85 goals and 121 assists in his 390-game Old Trafford career - was in a class of his own. David Beckham – Manchester United Career Appearances 390 Goals 85 Assists 121 Honours Champions League (98/99); Premier League (95/96, 96/97, 98/99, 99/00, 00/01, 02/03); FA Cup (1996, 1999); Community Shield (93/94, 94/95, 96/97, 97/98); Intercontinental Cup (1999) A lesser-known ace among those of the modern age, Norman Whiteside was some player for Manchester United throughout the 80s.
Emerging as a first team star at the tender age of 16, the Northern Ireland international was often compared to his fellow countryman Best. And although he failed to match the output of the latter, there is no disregarding his influence at Old Trafford. Northern Ireland has produced some brilliant players over the years.
In 1982/83, his second season at the club, Whiteside - the youngest player to ever score in a - notched in the League Cup and FA Cup finals and became the youngest player to do so. A perennial record-breaker, the attacking midfielder retired at the age of 26 but could have easily climbed this list if he hadn’t hung his boots up so prematurely. Norman Whiteside – Manchester United Career Appearances 240 Goals 57 Assists 4 Honours FA Cup (1985); Community Shield (83/84) Undeniably a legend at club and international level for Manchester United and England, Nobby Stiles was a warrior.
Interestingly, Stiles is one of three Englishmen to achieve success both on the European and international stage and swapped Old Trafford for Middlesbrough in 1971 and left supporters with plenty of memorable moments. Albeit diminutive, Mancunian Stiles was dominant in a ball-winning capacity and was as tough as footballers came from a tackling standpoint. Stiles notched 370 appearances for the Red Devils and played a vital part in their first-ever European Cup triumph in 1968, acting as a ground-eating presence in front of the back line.
Nobby Stiles – Manchester United Career Appearances 370 Goals 19 Assists 8 Honours European Cup (67/68); First Division (64/65, 66/67); Community Shield (65/66, 67/68) Although is the ultimate self-deprecator, the Englishman was a dependable figure for Ferguson during the club’s glory days - not to mention he was the perfect partner for Beckham. The older brother of Phil, who stood beside him in the Class of '92, the right-back was a leading figure for the club for a long period of time. Every Premier League-winning captain ranked based on their footballing ability.
He also assumed captaincy for a while, lifting the Premier League on three occasions with the armband around his bicep, and is best remembered for his marauding runs and whipping balls into United’s target men. Not the most prolific player in terms of goals and assists, the player-turned-businessman’s best asset was between his ears, rather than when the ball was on the deck. Gary Neville – Manchester United Career Appearances 599 Goals 7 Assists 49 Honours Champions League (98/99, 07/08); FIFA Club World Cup (2009); Premier League (92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 96/97, 98/99, 99/00, 00/01, 02/03, 06/07, 07/08, 08//09, 10/11); FA Cup (1994, 1996, 1999, 2004); League Cup (2006, 2009, 2010); Community Shield (93/94, 94/95, 96/97, 97/98, 07/08, 08/09); Intercontinental Cup (1999) Anointed the poster boy of ’s recent history, Marcus Rashford is a divisive figure among the Old Trafford fanbase, with his inconsistency being his Achilles heel.
Scoring a quartet of strikes in his opening two outings had fans off their seats as they thought that Carrington had done it once again: created a world-beating youngster. Rashford’s talent has never been in doubt, but his progression has perhaps been hampered by a barrage of managerial changes and a lack of clear direction from the boardroom bosses. As one of at the time of writing, the Wythenshawe-born ace could thrive under the ownership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co.
Marcus Rashford – Manchester United Career Appearances 402 Goals 131 Assists 66 Honours Europa League (16/17); FA Cup (2016, 2024); League Cup (2017, 2023); Community Shield (16/17).
