Throughout the good times and bad, a defining characteristic of Manchester United as a football club throughout the generations has been its emphasis on developing home-grown talent.
From the Busby Babes to the Class of ’92 to the current crop inspired by the prodigiously talented Marcus Rashford, The Red Devils always seem to have at least one academy graduate included in their matchday squad.
Given the quality that has passed through the United academy in their illustrious history, it is perhaps unsurprising that they are the most successful club in the history of the FA Youth Cup, winning it on no fewer than ten occasions.
As is the norm, every year, United reward one youngster with the Young Player of the Year award – renamed the Jimmy Murphy award in 1989 following his passing. Murphy had been Sir Matt Busby’s assistant during the successful ‘Busby Babes’ years and had personally scouted and then trained some of the club’s most legendary homegrown players, including Sir Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards.
A number of future first-team stars won the Jimmy Murphy award in the years after its renaming, including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and Wes Brown and that trend has continued since the turn of the Millenium.
This is what happened next to every Jimmy Murphy Player of the Year winner since 2000.
1999-2000: Bojan Djordjic
Age: 37
Position: Left Wing
Man United apps: 1
Career path: Brommapojkarna, Man United, Sheffield Wednesday (loan), AGF (loan), Red Star Belgrade (loan), Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, AIK, Videoton, Blackpool, Royal Antwerp, Brommapojkarna, Vasalund, Chennaiyin
A former Sweden youth international, Djordjic spent six years at Old Trafford but was unable to break into the first-team. Djordjic enjoyed his best form with Plymouth between 2005-07.
2000-01: Alan Tate
Age: 36
Position: Centre Back
Man United apps: 0
Career path: Man United, Royal Antwerp (loan), Swansea, Leeds (loan), Yeovil Town (loan), Aberdeen (loan), Crewe (loan), Port Talbot Town
Tate failed to make a first-team appearance for the Red Devils but instead became a club legend at Swansea City, playing for 11 years across all four English divisions. After leaving the Swans in 2015, Tate opted to stay in Wales, joining Port Talbot Town.
2001-02: Paul Tierney
Age: 36
Position: Left Back
Man United apps: 1
Career path: Man United, Crewe (loan), Colchester United (loan), Bradford City (loan), Livingston, Blackpool, Altrincham, East Kilbride, Glasgow BSC
An Irish U21 international, Tierney made his debut for United in a League Cup tie against West Brom in 2003. He spent five years out of the game after leaving Altrincham in 2009 before returning to play in the Scottish lower leagues.
2002-03: Ben Collett
Age: 34
Position: Right Midfield
Man United apps: 0
Career path: Man United, New Zealand Knights, AGOVV Apeldoorn
Described as an ‘A-Class footballer’ by Sir Alex Ferguson, Collett’s career was cruelly cut short through injury after he was on the receiving end of a horrible challenge in a youth game in 2003. After attempting to revitalise his career in New Zealand and Holland, Collett retired in 2007 and a year later was awarded damages of £4.5m for his injury.
2003-04: Jonathan Spector
Age: 32
Position: Right Back/Centre Midfield
Man United apps: 7
Career path: Chicago Fire, Man United, Charlton Athletic (loan), West Ham, Birmingham City, Orlando City
Signed after impressing while playing for USA’s U17 team, Spector has forged a successful career for himself in England’s top two divisions after leaving United in 2006. Currently playing in the US with Orlando City.
2004-05: Giuseppe Rossi
Age: 32
Position: Striker
Man United apps: 14
Career path: Parma, Man United, Newcastle (loan), Parma (loan), Villarreal, Fiorentina, Levante (loan), Celta Vigo (loan) Genoa
Scored four goals in 14 games for United but found his path to the first team blocked by the likes Rooney, Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy. Rossi showcased his finishing ability during a spell at Villarreal but his career has sadly been blighted by knee injuries in recent years. He is back at United, but only training with his former side while he finds a new club.
2005-06: Darron Gibson
Age: 31
Position: Centre Midfield
Man United apps: 60
Career path: Man United, Royal Antwerp (loan), Wolves (loan), Everton, Sunderland, Wigan
Won four major honours at United after breaking into the first-team during the 2008-09 squad and scored 10 goals in 60 games in total. In 2012, he left for Everton but his time on Merseyside was disrupted by injury problems and joined Sunderland in 2017 to reunite with David Moyes. Gibson made 30 appearances for the Black Cats, scoring no goals, before joining Wigan in the summer.
2006-07: Craig Cathcart
Age: 30
Position: Centre Back
Man United apps: 0
Career path: Man United, Royal Antwerp (loan), Plymouth Argyle (loan), Blackpool, Watford
Cathcart was on the brink of making his United debut in 2007 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Unfortunately for the Belfast-born defender he never made a first-team appearance for the club but he is now playing regularly in the top-flight with Watford.
2007-08: Danny Welbeck
Age: 28
Position: Striker
Man United apps: 142
Career path: Man United, Preston (loan), Sunderland (loan), Arsenal
Burst onto the scene by scoring a wonder-goal on his Premier League debut against Stoke. Welbeck then excelled on loan at Sunderland before becoming a valuable player under Ferguson. He was sold to Arsenal in 2014 after finding himself out-of-favour under Louis van Gaal. Welbeck has 32 goals in 126 appearances for the Gunners and is currently out with a long-term knee injury.
2008-09: Federico Macheda
Age: 27
Position: Striker
Man United apps: 36
Career path: Lazio, Man United, Sampdoria (loan), QPR (loan), Stuttgart (loan), Doncaster Rovers (loan), Birmingham (loan), Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest (loan), Novara, Panathinaikos
It looked as though United had uncovered a gem when Macheda scored two crucial goals to help them win the Premier League in 2008-09, including a last-minute winner against Aston Villa. He struggled to build on that brilliant start, though and is currently plying his trade in the Greek Super League.
2009-10: Will Keane
Age: 26
Position: Striker
Man United apps: 3
Career path: Man United, Wigan (loan), QPR (loan), Sheffield Wednesday (loan), Preston (loan), Hull City, Ipswich Town (loan)
Awarded the trophy after netting 13 goals in 26 U18 matches, Keane went on to make his United debut in December 2011. Incredibly, he had to wait a further five years to play for the first-team again, featuring twice, before joining Hull permanently in 2016. He has failed to establish a first-team role with the Tigers and is currently on loan with Ipswich.
2010-11: Ryan Tunnicliffe
Age: 26
Position: Centre Midfield
Man United apps: 2
Career path: Man United, Peterborough (loan), Barnsley (loan), Ipswich (loan), Fulham, Blackburn (loan) Wigan (loan), Millwall
Tunnicliffe was a key member of United’s 2011 FA Youth Cup winning team, starring alongside Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison in midfield. He made two appearances in the League Cup but left to sign for Fulham in 2014. Tunnicliffe is now plying his trade in south London with Millwall.
2011-12: Mats Moller Daehli
Age: 23
Position: Attacking Midfield
Man United apps: 0
Career path: Man United, Molde, Cardiff City, SC Freiburg, St Pauli (loan), St Pauli
The talented Norwegian playmaker left in 2013 to link up with United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde. The pair then ended up at Cardiff City together, too, but Daehli moved to Germany six months after the Bluebirds’ relegation from the Premier League. Daehli is currently at St Pauli.
2012-13: Ben Pearson
Age: 24
Position: Centre Midfield
Man United apps: 0
Career path: Man United, Barnsley (loan), Preston
Pearson beat Adnan Januzaj to the award in 2013 but unlike the talented winger, he was unable to force his way into the first-team squad. Following an impressive year-long loan at Barnsley, Pearson earned a permanent transfer to Preston in January 2016, where he’s made 105 appearances.
2013-14: James Wilson
Age: 23
Position: Striker
Man United apps: 20
Career path: Man United, Brighton (loan), Derby County (loan), Sheffield United (loan), Aberdeen (loan)
Made a dream start to his professional career by scoring twice on his debut in a Premier League win over Hull City in Ryan Giggs’ first game in charge as manager. Wilson spent the majority of the 2015/16 season on loan at Brighton and was enjoying a spell with Derby County before suffering a serious knee injury which cut short his campaign. He was then sent to Sheffield United and is currently with Aberdeen on a temporary basis.
2014-15: Axel Tuanzebe
Age: 21
Position: Centre Back
Man United apps: 8
Career path: Man United, Aston Villa (loan)
After being tipped to make a breakthrough in the 2016/17 campaign, Jose Mourinho said: “Axel is one of the boys that’s in the academy who is more close to playing with us.”
The youngster made his first-team debut against Arsenal in 2016 but has since been loaned to Aston Villa twice.
2015-16: Marcus Rashford
Age: 21
Position: Striker
Man United apps: 149
Career path: Man United
Scored twice on his debut against FC Midtjylland in February 2016 and hasn’t looked back. Now an integral member of the United squad, Rashford has already struck over 40 goals for his hometown club.
2016-17: Angel Gomes
Age: 18
Position: Attacking midfield
Man Utd apps: 3
Career path: Man United
Angel Gomes, who joined Man United aged 13, managed 12 goals and six assists in 19 games with the youth team in 2015-16.
The London-born creative midfielder became the youngest ever Manchester United player to score a hat-trick at academy level since 2001 – he was 15 years, 11 months and 29 days.
His godfather is former United winger Nani.
2017-18 Tahith Chong
Age: 19
Position: Winger
Man Utd apps: 1
Career path: Man Utd
Chong beat off competition from fellow contenders Lee O’Connor, who was second, and third-placed James Garner to last season’s trophy.
The Curacao-born winger had been struggling with a knee injury before returning to United’s youth set-up in November 2017 where he scored against Manchester City’s Under-18s.
Since then, Chong has continued to impress in the academy and was awarded a first Man Utd appearance this season, coming on as a second-half substitute during the club’s 2-0 win against Reading in the FA Cup.
The post What happened next? Every winner of Manchester United’s Jimmy Murphy award since 2000 appeared first on Squawka News.
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