Jose Mourinho ensures Manchester United will included homegrown player in every matchday squad for 80 years with selection against Tottenham
Marcus Rashford starting, with Jesse Lingard and Scott McTominay on bench, continues record which started in 1937
JOSE MOURINHO ensures Manchester United will make it 80 years of at least one homegrown player being named in the matchday squad with his selection against Tottenham.
Marcus Rashford starts the game, with Scott McTominay and Jesse Lingard on the bench.
The incredible run started on October 30, 1937 against Fulham, making it 3,883 consecutive first team matches where a homegrown player has made the squad.
Incredibly, in that period, only once — in a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal — did a youth team player not actually feature.
John O'Shea was an unused substitute in that match.
When Mourinho was hired as manager, this record appeared to come under threat due to the Special One's chequered history when it comes to youth players.
However, Rashford has been a regular over the past season and a half, while Lingard has also seen plenty of game time — with both now England internationals.
More recently, McTominay and Axel Tuanzebe have been given first team opportunities.
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United have famously been European champions on two occasions with teams built around a core of academy graduates.
In 1968, Sir Matt Busby fielded a side with seven homegrown players — including Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best — as the Red Devils became the first English side to win the famous trophy.
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And 31 years later, Sir Alex Ferguson completed the Treble, with the core of his side being the famous "Class of 92".
Gary Neville, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs started — with Phil Neville, Wes Brown and Jonathan Greening on the bench.
In 2008, Paul Scholes, who had been suspended for the 1999 final win over Bayern Munich, combined with Brown to set up Cristiano Ronaldo's goal against Chelsea.