Academy Weekly: School vists and international experience

All that and more features in our latest round-up, detailing everything our young Reds have been up to, on and off the pitch, over the last seven days...

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Scholars visit schools to discuss mental health

Six Under-17s players visited two partner high schools in Manchester last week as part of Academy Mental Health Awareness Month. In discussion with students, the players sought to raise awareness and conversations around mental health. Planning and leading the sessions themselves, they participated in a 45-minute outdoor physical session - including football skills and dodgeball - followed by a classroom Q&A in which they proposed questions to students about their mental health. These discussions included answering the following questions:

What makes you happy? What makes you sad? How do you deal with sad moments? What hobbies outside of school do you have? When you have a problem, who do you speak to?

An emphasis was then put on the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’, which are: Give, be active, keep learning, take notice, and connect.

The players, staff, and students all enjoyed a valuable day at Manchester Health Academy and Broadoak High School. Academy Education Manager Ian Smithson said: “This is their first actual experience going to a do school visit as part of their education programme. This is part of our MHAM (Mental Health Awareness Month), it’s a good experience for our players and hopefully for our schools as well."

Full-back Sam Murray said: “We’ve come and talked to some year 7s and some year 10s about how important it is to open up and be as mentally strong as possible.”

Goalkeeper Tom Wooster explained: “Encouraging kids, and even adults, to speak more is always good and something that should be looked upon with great pride that we’re doing such a month.” 

Learning from sporting figures

Another recent activity involved our young players learning about sporting figures who have spoken about their own mental health in the past. Academy staff created a room that highlighted examples of these individuals, including Andres Iniesta and Jack Wilshere, previously of Barcelona and Arsenal respectively, tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Raphael Nadal, swimmer Michael Phelps, and our own first-team player Jesse Lingard and interim manager Ralf Rangnick. These figures have led the way in promoting the need to be open about your feelings, with Wilshere’s quote proving particular apt: “True courage is to show weakness and not be ashamed of it.”

Two-game week for Under-18s

A stripped-back U18s squad with several absentees due to international call-ups allowed a number of U16s to gain valuable late-season experience at a higher age group, as Travis Binnion’s team defeated Sunderland 1-0 last Thursday.

Ethan Ennis continued his good goalscoring form to make the breakthrough for United at the Academy of Light, and his excellent 40th-minute curling finish proved the difference in the U18 Premier League clash in the north east.

United XI v Sunderland: Hanbury; Kambwala, Bennett (c), Aljofree, Pye (Murray 62); Jurado, Forson, McAllister (Curley 46), Ennis; Hugill, Norkett (Lawrence 62).

It was a young U18s team that took on Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday lunchtime, too, with Harrison Parker and Ethan Wheatley both making debuts at this level as substitutes. A ninth-minute knuckleball effort from Harrison Wood put Rovers in front after nine minutes, cannoning in off the right post, before Joe Hugill equalised for United, finishing from a tight angle after rounding the goalkeeper. After an even first half, Blackburn raced into a comfortable lead after the 70th-minute mark, scoring thrice in quick succession for a 4-1 win.

United XI v Blackburn: Wooster; Lawrence (McAllister 29), Kambwala (Parker 75), Aljofree, Murray; Jurado (c), Oyedele, Curley (Wheatley 61); Forson, Hugill, Ennis.

Academy graduate achievements

Anthony Elanga made his senior international debut for Sweden last week, coming on in extra-time as his country defeated the Czech Republic in their FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final. Elanga is the 135th Academy graduate to represent his country and earn full international honours.

United pair among world’s top teenagers

Manchester United’s Hannibal and Shola Shoretire have been ranked among the top 50 best teenage talents in world football.

The Reds pair appear in Goal’s NXGN list for 2022, which celebrates the best players born on or after 1 January 2003, and is compiled by hundreds of journalists operating across 37 countries.

Hannibal is ranked at no.22 after a promising 12 months. He made his senior debut for United in the 2-1 victory at Wolves on the final day of the 2020/21 campaign before being capped by Tunisia for the first time that summer. The 19-year-old was involved for the Eagles of Carthage at the Arab Cup and Africa Cup of Nations and was, once again, in the squad for the key two-legged World Cup qualifier against Mali, in which his nation triumphed 1-0 to secure their place at the coming winter's tournament. 

Shoretire is a year younger than Hannibal, having turned 18 last month, but the Newcastle-born forward has already made four senior appearances for United.

Shola became the Reds’ youngest-ever player in European competition when he came on to face Real Sociedad in the Europa League last season and he was also crowned the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year, following in the footsteps of the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford.

The teenager, who has played for England’s Under-19s side, appears at no.44 in Goal’s list.

International experience

Alejandro Garnacho played for Argentina U20s in a 2-2 draw with the USA. Goalkeeper Matej Kovar enjoyed an influential performance for the Czech Republic’s U21s against Albania, keeping a clean sheet in the U21 Euro qualifier.

At the same level, Ethan Galbraith started for Northern Ireland as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Slovakia, for whom Martin Svidersky came on as a substitute. Svidersky later played in a 3-2 defeat against Spain, while James Garner started for England U21s in a 3-0 victory over Albania.

Ondrej Mastny represented Czech Republic’s U20s in defeat to Portugal.

Sam Mather and Dan Gore have both been in action for England’s U18s this week, with the latter scoring in a recent 3-3 draw against Denmark at the Marbella Football Centre. Maxi Oyedele made his debut for Poland U18s this week, and his side drew 2-2 with Switzerland.

At U17 level, Habeeb Ogunneye, Kobbie Mainoo and Tyler Fredricson have been with England, the latter pair playing in a 3-1 defeat to France. Jack Kingdon and Louis Jackson both represented Scotland in defeat to Germany and in a comeback draw against the Czech Republic.

COMING UP

League fixtures

The U18s' busy schedule continues with a Saturday lunchtime (12:30 BST) match away at Middlesbrough. Supporters can watch the fixture live on MUTV. Neil Wood's U23s travel to Leicester for a Monday night (19:00 BST) Premier League 2 fixture and while broadcasting restrictions prevent the game from being shown live, you can watch it in full three hours after kick-off on MUTV.