Manchester United boss Michael Carrick says retaining a keen interest in our Academy players remains an utmost priority.
Our head coach was spotted watching on as our Under-18s played in the FA Youth Cup earlier this week, progressing to the quarter-finals after a 4-1 success against Oxford United.
Michael, who won the competition with West Ham United in 1999, was also spotted at the weekend cheering on his son Jacey against Manchester City for our Under-16s.
Pressed on the importance of attending and absorbing these fixtures, Carrick admitted the very fabric of the club is built on shaping the careers of the next generation at Carrington.
“Yeah, it was good. I enjoyed it,”began Carrick when speaking to MUTV's Mark Sullivan.
“We went down, there was a number of the staff that went down and yeah it was always something we were trying to do and as much as we can, we'll do that in between our fixtures. In the Youth Cup, I've got great memories personally of the Youth Cup when I was younger.
“[It is] such an important competition and so for us to go and watch, it's good to get our eyes on some of the younger players and how they're doing.For them to feel that connection. I was really pleased with Colin [Little] and Fletch [Darren Fletcher] and the boys and I thought they played really well in tough conditions, actually. So to get a good result and move on was a good night.“
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Our young Reds are set to face either Sunderland or Brighton and Hove Albion in the next round of the prestigious youth competition, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.
We will soon be able to bring you the full details for that game, but for now, Carrick's focus is on Monday night's clash with Everton in the Premier League.
Stay tuned to our platforms across the weekend for all the latest ahead of the 20:00 GMT kick-off on Merseyside.