JOSE MOURINHO believes Manchester United can emulate Real Madrid’s successful development of youth players over the next few years.
United have a host of talented young stars coming through at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Scott McTominay and Axel Tuanzebe are all members of United’s first-team squad and under the age of 21.
Jose Mourinho has had a reputation for failing to give younger players a chance at his previous clubs.
But he has regularly argued against that claim, and gives himself plenty of credit for how Madrid’s team now looks.
The Portuguese was in charge at the Bernabeu from 2010 until 2013 and gave some of Madrid’s current stars their big breaks.
And the United boss sees a similar path for his prodigies in Manchester.
“More than half of their team – which is their first team because they were only missing Ronaldo and Ramos – all these guys started with me and had debuts with me,” Mourinho said.
“They came into the first team with me, trained with me at 15 and 16 years old. Nacho, Casemiro, Carvajal, Morata, Marcelo was 20.
“So probably in a few years Manchester United will also have half a dozen of these kids.
“I think Scott McTominay and Demetri Mitchell are also kids to have a future in the club. And Andreas Pereira is back.
“So when the kids are good and have potential, there is no problem.”
Manchester United are set to start the season with a number of players under the age of 25 as regular starters.
They will include Paul Pogba, Martial, Rashford, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Romelu Lukaku and Luke Shaw too when he returns from injury in September.
And United’s return to Champions League action means their clogged fixture list should help provide further opportunities for Mourinho’s teenage stars.
Source:www.express.co.uk