Levitt & Mejbri... Meet the next generation of Man Utd starlets

Published on: 25 May 2020

Manchester United's youth system is the foundation of the first-team, given that the Red Devils have named an academy graduate in every match-day squad for over 4,000 consecutive matches - a sequence that dates back to October 1937.

Remarkably, two thirds of Manchester United's 44 goals so far this season have been scored by academy graduates: Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard, Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira and Brandon Williams have all hit the target.

But, who will be the future stars of United? McTominay has recently named the three academy players he believes can follow in his footsteps by breaking into the first team: Di'Shon Bernard, Largie Ramazani and James Garner.

But there are plenty more candidates for who could make the grade. After all, it is not only the most highly-fancied youth players who make it at the very top - remember Ben Thornley, or Ravel Morrison?

Here are some of the others who could be gracing Old Trafford over the coming years...

Dylan Levitt

Manchester United have had some magnificent midfielders throughout the years, but few have been put in the same class bracket as Paul Scholes – but those are the whispers surrounding Dylan Levitt.

Like the former United legend, Levitt is brilliantly composed on the ball with great vision and creativity, and knows how to put himself in the right place at the right time.

Levitt may have only featured for the first team once - against Astana in the Europa League - but his performance suggested better things to come from the youngster.

This season, he has scored two goals in five UEFA Youth League appearances and scored and created regularly for both the under-18s and the under-23s.

The 19-year-old also earned his first Wales call-up in August 2019 and provided the creative spark in the Under 23s, with three goals and four assists this season.

Indeed his national team boss - none other than Ryan Giggs - believes that Levitt is destined for great things.

'In training, he’s one of the best,' said Giggs. 'He’s my kind of player – a good character, quiet but tough.

'I want him to develop and if he does, and if he plays more games, then he’ll definitely be in the reckoning. He’s a really intelligent player with a good range of passing and he stands out in training in every session.'

Hannibal Mejbri

Hannibal Mejbri, who signed for Manchester United last summer in a £9million deal from Monaco, has wasted no time in proving his worth in the Red Devils' youth system.

The highly-rated French teenager has scored once and registered three assists for the United U18s team this season.

The 17-year-old midfielder possesses lightning-quick speed and has a keen eye for passing. His promising start at United has seen him earn a call-up to the under-23s, and target a first-team debut.

United originally had to fight off European giants Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea for Mejbri's signature and will be looking to make their most of their young starlet in the future.

United's under-18 coach, Neil Ryan, says he has 'high hopes' for Mejbri after the youngster helped his side reach the FA Youth Cup semi-finals.

Ethan Laird

Having joined United's academy at the age of eight, Ethan Laird was handed his first-team debut for the Red Devils in their UEFA Europa League match against Astana in Kazakhstan last year.

The 18-year-old is an attacking-minded right-back with eye-watering pace. Laird also possesses defensive awareness well beyond his years. He is not afraid to make a tackle but uses good decision-making to determine when to commit.

By sitting on the fringes of United's first team, Laird has caught the eye of Championship and League One scouts, though it is said that United will look to hold onto their hot prospect instead of loaning him out this summer.

Having sat on the bench for the first team numerous times, the right-back will stay at the club to gain more experience in the U23 team after his season was disrupted by injury and the coronavirus pandemic.

Shola Shoretire

Manchester United have recently fast-tracked an agreement for rising star Shola Shoretire to secure his immediate future to the club.

The 16-year old is already regarded as one of the best No 10s in Europe for his age and was a target for elite sides across the continent.

His incredibly quick feet make him excel in one v ones, while his expansive skill set gives him the versatility to play on either the wing or up front.

Shoretire is still at school but is expected to play for the U23s this season and could even make an impression on the first-team squad before the end of the year.

Having joined the club at just 10 years old, Shoretire later became the youngest player to appear in the UEFA Youth League in December 2018, aged 14 years and 314 days when introduced as a substitute in a 2-1 win against Valencia.

The Newcastle-raised teenager can't sign a professional contract until he turns 17 next February but is so highly regarded by United that they have moved to put a scholar year in place with the promise of a lucrative first professional deal attached.

Arnau Puigmal

The world can expect big things of 18-year-old midfield talent Arnau Puigmal during his time at United.

Puigmal joined United from Espanyol in 2017 after being considered one of Spain's best midfielders in his age group.

Since joining the Red Devils, he went on to impress further and is now regarded as one of the best youngsters in Europe.

Puigmal is a driving force that looks to contribute to the attack. He's physical, he makes intelligent runs from deep and scores goals with both feet. United are also fond of his winner's personality.

Largie Ramazani

Manchester United signed teenage Belgian forward Largie Ramazani on a four-year deal back in 2017 after he impressed their scouts, despite his small stature - he is just 5ft 4in tall.

Fast forward to now, and McTominay believes he could be next in line to break into the first-team.

Ramazani, who only turned 19 in February, was handed his debut for United in the Europa League earlier this season after scoring nine goals in 13 games for the under-23s in 2019.

There have been reports of discontent, however, with Ramazani apparently wanting to play more often, but United unwilling to let him leave on loan or promote him to the first team before he is ready.

The MEN has also reported that Ramazani rejected United's latest contract offer as a stand-off develops.

James Garner

Midfielder James Garner is wanted by Cardiff City as well as Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday, but McTominay believes he is the future of United.

The promising 19-year-old, who has figured in several first-team squads under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is one of United's most sought-after youngsters.

He showed his potential playing for their U23s and later made his first-team European debut against Partizan in the Europa League last October.

The Birkenhead-born youngster also looks a born leader and has captained the youth-team sides.

A deep-lying midfielder who is regarded as a fine passer, Garner himself is moulding his game based on a former Old Trafford great.

'In the position I play, [Michael Carrick] is the best at what he does, in my opinion,' he said. 'I look up to him and I’m just trying to do what he does.'

Di'Shon Bernard

Di'Shon Bernard is another kid who McTominay has touted to be the next big thing at United.

The 19-year-old defender was snapped up by former boss Jose Mourinho in 2017 after he left Chelsea's academy.

He made his senior debut in the Europa League match against Astana on 28 November 2019. However, he scored an own goal as United lost 2-1.

That said, the own goal was a result of bad luck rather than poor play, and Solskjaer was quick to praise Bernard after an otherwise very promising performance.

'[The own goal] is the only time [Bernard] put a foot wrong. He didn’t even put a foot wrong then, sometimes that [an own goal] happens in football, but I thought he was excellent.

'He was disappointed and he’ll remember that from his debut. But I wanted him to remember the other 92 minutes and every other touch he had.'

Prior to that game, Bernard featured regularly for the under-23s this season and also starred in the under-21s EFL Trophy campaign.

The young hot prospect also captained the side once this season, and credited himself with leadership qualities.

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more