Gary Neville has sent a warning to the Manchester United hierarchy over the future of the club's academy.
United have an impressive record of having a homegrown youth player in a match day squad for 80 years.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard are first-team regulars while Scott McTominay has been in the picture this season.
And Neville has called on the club to maintain that run for years to come, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The former Red Devils skipper was speaking at an event at Old Trafford along with brother Phil, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs to mark the release of the new Adidas Ninety-Two shoe.
He said: "You can sit here and say that our time is over but also I think if you look at the lads that are still playing in the first team - [Scott] McTominay, [Marcus] Rashford and [Jesse] Lingard - and the record of consecutive games for youth-team players.
"It's important that United continue to tell the story of youth and particularly during a time when it's more difficult for young players to break into the first team.
"I don't think we should let the candle burn out because ultimately you need to keep reminding people of the importance of producing young players and local players who love the club and have grown up loving the club.
"Whether it's us or it's even Tottenham, and you respect what they're doing at the moment, or Southampton or other clubs who are producing a lot of young players. It's fantastic to see and the fans can really connect with them."
Neville says the feeling of becoming a United great after coming through the club's junior ranks is unique.
"The Academy for us was special at United," he added. "When you look back at obviously the Busby Babes and, when we were growing up, Norman Whiteside and Mark Hughes came through. And some of the greatest players United have ever had like Sir Bobby Charlton.
"You're referring back to history all the time and it's the feeling of the blazer, being with the youth team, the Busby Babes were wearing the blazer and the first team still do it. The staff do and it's the history, principles and values that will never change."