This is one of the greatest achievements in MU history – a record type that even the fans of rival teams are forced to admit to respect.
How can you describe the miracle of MU, when there is always at least one mature player from their Academy to participate in every team of the first team since October 1937?
To see the stature of that, this series of matches lasted for 4,321 matches, with 44 big and small titles won in the process, including 3 European Cups and 18 out of 20 national championships.
However, now, that record chain is becoming more fragile than ever. And although he did not want to be confused, it was really reasonable to ask the question: Is the 2025/26 season the time coming to an end?
Marcus Rashford joined Barca. Alejandro Garnacho is no longer part of coach Ruben Amorim's plan. Jonny Evans – another product of MU training furnace – has hanged shoes. Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood both left Old Trafford in the past year, even for very different reasons. The same goes for Brandon Williams.
Kobbie Mainoo remains, but what happens if the 20 -year -old midfielder is injured or suspended? Last season he was absent from 17 matches, last season was 21 matches. So if Mainoo continues to be absent, what will happen?
“Selling mctominay is a mistake,” Tony Park – a longtime fan, historian and author of many books about MU – affirmed bluntly. “Rashford is not properly oriented, Williams too. I think Garnacho simply wants to play attack, and the coach has defensive thinking. Currently, no one really stands out at the Academy, the whole system seems very blurred.”
It was Tony Park who in 2013 conducted statistics and published this record series in the writing process “Sons of MU”, showing that this is not only a word of mouth but a proud reality.
Is that important? Very important – for many people who are attached to MU – because it shows the tradition and commitment to the development of players who can sing a “race”.
As director of Nick Cox Academy told The Athletic last year: “It was the young players who helped us overcome World War II. After the Munich disaster, they were the fulcrum of recovery. And in the most glorious days, when the national or European championship, we all have a young core.”
The latest evidence was the FA Cup final in 2024, when Garnacho and Mainoo were two goals to help MU defeat Man City. This is probably the most meaningful victory since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
“This has never been forced, not a PR trick,” Cox added. “It is simply the natural consequence of the way we operate. The club is extremely proud of the tradition of developing young players, and the fans always expect to see indigenous young faces in the first team. It is the flesh of our history, even in the darkest periods.”
But now, things are changing too fast.
According to Park's analysis, last season, an average of 4.51 academy players in each team of the first team – dropped sharply compared to 6.65 previous seasons. And next season, it may be the lowest in three decades.
“In the 1990s, we only need a player on the bench to hold this record,” Park recalled.
Like many other MU fans, Park still hopes the record series will continue. “The loss of many young players at the same time is not good from many aspects, and there are names that we should not lose. It is clear that there is something wrong somewhere.
But that also asked the question: Is this the highest level of the club, will this record still be seriously considered?
Is the Glazer family interested? Does Sir Jim Ratcliffe consider it pride? Does it ever mentioned in meetings?. “I'm not sure that the current leadership really 'absorbed' its meaning,” Park said frankly.
It is really a pity, especially when looking back on how the coaches have always attached importance to the development of young players.
“Always using young players and still winning, that's the proud thing,” Park said. “We have done it since the 1930s. Walter Crickmer put faith in it during World War, then two great coaches Matt Busby and Sir Alex, making it a DNA of MU.”
What about Amorim? This season is a big turning point for him. The Portuguese strategist is really wanting to prove his tactics can succeed in the Premier League, so he may have other priorities, especially after MU only ranked 15th last season. But does Amorim want to become a coach to break that historical record?
An idea proposed by a number of fans is to make this official. Can MU become the first team to be compulsory, even included in the coach's contract?
“I personally do not support the way, even though it is not difficult to do,” Park criticized. “Each coach should consciously give young players as an obvious thing. In the end, every player must deserve his position.
Football is a decisive place. If our young players are not good enough, don't use them. But if things go to that level, then it is clear that we have been wrong from the root. “
