Academy Briefing: Landmark international, remembrance

DONCASTER EXPERIENCE FOR U21s

As part of the Academy’s long-running and innovative Pro Experience Programme, two young United players spent time with EFL club Doncaster Rovers last week.

Launched in 2021, the programme has given many players a true taste of the Football League environment. For some, it's been a crucial first stepping stone towards a formal loan move.

Others have benefited from the lessons learned before joining United's first-team squad. It was only last season that Ethan Wheatley was involved in the programme. He made his senior debut in April.

Doncaster manager Grant McCann spoke positively about the experience after the two United players participated in a behind-closed-doors friendly. Simultaneously, Academy staff were happy to welcome two of Rovers’ youngsters into the Carrington set-up, giving them a taste of life at a Premier League club.

United and Doncaster met in the EFL Trophy earlier this season, with Travis Binnion’s Under-21s side earning a bonus point via a penalty shoot-out after a 3-3 draw in the group-stage clash. Binnion’s charges are back in action in the competition this week, travelling to Huddersfield Town on Tuesday evening.

See more details in our ‘Coming Up’ section below.

INTERNATIONAL CALL-UPS

Congratulations to midfielder Zach Baumann, who has received a call-up to Ukraine’s Under-19s squad for their 2025 U19 Euro qualifiers against Kazakhstan (Wednesday 13 November, 18:00 GMT), Slovenia (Saturday 16 November, 11:00 GMT) and the Netherlands (Tuesday 19 November, 18:00 GMT). Bolton-born Baumann will become the first United player to represent Ukraine.

Four youngsters have earned England call-ups. Wheatley will be with the U19s for qualifiers against Belgium, Lithuania and Bulgaria and Jack Fletcher joins up with the U18s for friendlies out in Spain. Bendito Mantato has been selected for the U17s, who play back-to-back friendlies with Belgium, alongside defender Jayden Ngwashi.

Elsewhere, Tyler Fletcher is back with Scotland U19s, who will face Gabriele Biancheri’s Wales team. At U18s level, Chido Obi-Martin is set to represent Denmark and Samuel Lusale heads to join his Slovakia team-mates.

There are many other Academy players joining up with their international squads over the next fortnight. Congratulations to them and their support networks. It’s always a proud moment representing your country and an excellent milestone in their young careers.

UNDER-18s' WINNING STREAK CONTINUES

Our U18s made it nine wins from as many games with a 3-0 triumph over Everton at Carrington on Saturday morning. Another excellent Jim Thwaites free-kick followed a clinical Chido Obi-Martin finish before Bendito Mantato capped off victory with a powerful added-time strike.

You can watch the extended highlights below. 

STATS SUPPORT UNITED PATHWAY

With the Premier League season pausing for the third international break, it’s a good time to reflect on key trends across the campaign thus far. The statistics show that United’s Academy pathway remains a league leader.

The CIES Football Observatory’s findings show that club-trained players (at United for at least three seasons between 15 and 21) have made up 22.1 per cent of all minutes this season. This is far above the 7.1% average, and a full 5% higher than the next-best club.

No Red has played more times than either Marcus Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho, who both have 18 appearances to their name already. Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo, Toby Collyer, Scott McTominay and Ethan Wheatley have all also appeared, with Tom Heaton, Harry Amass, Jack Fletcher, Jayce Fitzgerald, Dan Gore and Habeeb Ogunneye all involved in matchday squads.

United recently celebrated 87 years with an Academy graduate in every single matchday squad. That’s a run stretching across more than 4,250 consecutive fixtures.

REMEMBRANCE WEEKEND

All Academy teams shared a minute’s silence with their opponents during this weekend’s games, and laid wreaths. The U12s participated in the Premier League’s annual Christmas Truce Tournament, an education-led competition which is first contested regionally. The winners of these regional meetings qualify for the final tournament in Ypres, Belgium, the site of five famous World War One battles and where the ‘Last Post’ is played at the Menin Gate every evening. Clubs can also qualify for Belgium via the quality of their education projects. 

‘A United Education’ has seen our young players enjoy a great variety of experiences during the project. They visited the Trafford Veterans Society to engage with members of the Armed Forces community, the Imperial War Museum North to have the realities of the Truce brought to life, and they’ve used UA92’s Igloo Room to help understand what life in a trench would be like.

At the Truce Tournament held at a Midlands RAF base on Sunday, one member of the U12s squad read the iconic ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem before another laid a wreath.

COMING UP

United face Huddersfield Town in our final EFL Trophy group stage game, knowing a draw could see Binnion’s youngsters progress into the knockout stages.

The Reds have proved a thrilling team to watch in the competition thus far, coming from behind to triumph 3-2 at Barnsley and then earn a 3-3 draw at Doncaster, winning the subsequent penalty shoot-out.

All support at Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium will be greatly appreciated by players and staff. Tickets are available here.

MUTV INFO AT A GLANCE

Tuesday 12 November | Huddersfield Town v UNITED U21s | 19:00 | Not live on MUTV (Live on Sky Sports+)
Tuesday 19 November | Altrincham v UNITED U21s | 19:30 | Live on MUTV
Saturday 23 November | UNITED U18s v Leeds United | 11:00 | Live on MUTV
Friday 29 November | UNITED U21s v West Ham United | 19:00 | Not live on MUTV (Clash with Premier League fixture)
Saturday 30 November | Stoke City v United U18s | 11:00 | Live on MUTV

All times listed in GMT.