Manchester United academy chief Nicky Butt slams clubs for how early they recruit young players: 'They trawl them in like fish and dump them without realising they are just kids'

• e-mail

Manchester United head of academy Nicky Butt has panned how clubs act towards young players.

There is a growing concern within the game over the age at which kids are recruited by clubs and the manner in which many are set up for an inevitable fall when they are released at the end of their time in the academy.

Clubs have taken to recruiting children from as young as five in an attempt to avoid them joining a rival.  

Manchester United's head of academy Nicky Butt has criticised academy recruitment

Progression to the first-team, especially in the Premier League, is unlikely, and there is a sense that the dream is being oversold.

That was best highlighted by the fact that Huddersfield decided to shut their academy after reaching the Premier League. 

A lack of success was the justification but it also led to a significant number of players suddenly finding themselves club-less after years in the academy system.

And Butt admitted he felt it was unacceptable to bring in players that young and then release them without a second thought.

Butt said clubs trawl through players like fish and then dump them without a second thought

He told ESPN: 'There is a lot of talent knocking about, but it is getting harder and harder because the kids are being picked up at 5, 6, and 7 years old. It's ridiculous the age they are picked up because they are still babies.

'The big thing that hurts me is that there are teams out there who cast their net out and trawl them all in like fish, but then dump them without realising they are just kids.

'I have lost count of the number of times I have been in environments where kids are in tears because they have been released by a club. These kids are seven and eight years of age and it isn't right.

'But how do I speak to my board when they are asking why we have missed out on this player or that player because I don't think it's right to get kids in so early? We have to do it because it has become such a competitive market.'

He admitted his board sometimes complain about how they have missed out on a player

Even among that criticism and doubt, there has been success at United recently. Butt himself believes the success of Marcus Rashford is a sign that United's famous academy production line is up and running again.

He is proud of how the 19-year-old has progressed rapidly from United's youth team to become a key influence in the first team.

Rashford scored his sixth goal of the season in United's 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday night and has also contributed four assists for his team-mates in all competitions.

Marcus Rashford has progressed from United's youth team to the seniors in under two years

Rashford (middle) celebrates with his team-mates after scoring the winner against Benfica

Butt, who played 387 games for United between 1992 and 2004, added: 'My job is to get players to the first team and the best example I can give is that, a couple of years ago, we were given an absolute doing by Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup [United lost 5-1].

'I was sat in the stand, I wasn't in my current role at the time, bit I was still cringing.

'But fast-forward two years and we have Marcus playing over 50 first-team games last season - more than anyone else in the squad - and playing for England.

'With all due-respect, Chelsea haven't produced one of their players for the first-team, and the end game for me is to get players into the first-team.'

Jose Mourinho asks Marcus Rashford about the extent of his knee injury during the Benfica win

The young England striker was on target against Leicester City in United's 2-0 win

Butt, who won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League at Old Trafford, also elaborated on his relationship with Mourinho.

He said: 'I am lucky to have a manager who communicates with me and is interested in some of the younger ones.

'We have discussions about them, who to bring up to senior training and who to look at, such as the last game of last season when we had six debutants. That was unbelievable.

'In that sense I'm lucky, but it doesn't surprise me. When the manager came in, he was honest with me.

He also found the net as United beat Basle 3-0 in their opening Champions League fixture

'He said that his role was to get United back to winning ways, it wasn't to run the academy because that was my job.

'But he said he would be here for me to lean on, to help, join in and watch sessions.

'He said he would discuss players with me in terms of who to bring up, who to put on loan, but ultimately, he said I was the boss of the academy and he was the boss of the first team.

'If I'm perfectly honest, that's just the way I want it.'