Another stat United's Academy can be proud of

When the CIES Football Observatory released its initial findings in mid-May, with a few games still to play, Brighton were the only top-flight side to have given a higher percentage of first-team minutes to its homegrown players.

At ManUtd.com's request, CIES have now updated the numbers to cover the entire campaign and while the Seagulls remained at the summit of that particular table, their lead was only marginal after the Reds closed the gap during the run-in, while also securing second place in the Premier League.

The ranking underlines the fact that United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has clearly invested a lot of faith in talented produced at the Aon Training Complex.

Chelsea finished in third spot ahead of Arsenal and then Liverpool, as the research identified players who have spent at least three seasons at their current club between the ages of 15 and 21.

This group not only consists of Academy products, as some players could have been signed from other clubs after turning 18.

Brighton's contingent includes the likes of Lewis Dunk, Solly March and Aaron Connolly, while United obviously have graduates such as Dean Henderson, Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, among plenty of others.

When looking at the top five European leagues, Spanish sides come out best.

La Liga duo Athletic Club and Celta Vigo can boast over half of their game-time going to club-trained players, with Real Sociedad not far behind in third place.

Some way back in fourth are French outfit Saint-Etienne, the best non-Spanish team, with Brighton in seventh and United eighth.

Ole's continued commitment to the club's long-standing tradition of producing our own talent should ensure the Reds continue to score highly in these areas.

United also had the third lowest average age for starting XIs in the Premier League last term (25.6 years old), only behind Aston Villa and Fulham (both 25.2).