Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United technical director Darren Fletcher insists on-loan youngsters will be given chance during pre-season
Speaking at a Fans’ Forum event, Manchester United technical director Darren Fletcher insisted that the club’s young loanees will be given every chance to impress when they return from their loan spells during pre-season in the summer (h/t Daily Mail).
Apart from academy players, the club also have senior players like Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial out on loan with Everton and Sevilla respectively to gain more minutes after not getting enough first-team action at Old Trafford this season.
Fletcher, who won 5 Premier League titles with United as a player, said that the Red Devils were looking to build a system for the side’s starlets to develop without adding any pressure on to them, and loan spells away from the club are essential to that.
“We have to manage the balance between allowing them to develop and creating the right steps for that, without piling the pressure onto them. Along with (head of academy Nick Cox), I’m looking at how we best use the loan system to give academy players invaluable experience at other clubs.”
Most top sides send their academy prospects out on loan to other clubs to let their youngsters get a taste of first-team football before they are inducted into the senior squad. It is a great and proven way to develop future stars as they experience what it is like to take responsibility at other clubs that are happy to provide them with the chance.
“Excited to bring them back”
Current first-team stars like Jesse Lingard and Dean Henderson know just how important loan spells away from their club are for their career, as the pair excelled and reminded everyone of their qualities at West Ham and Sheffield United respectively.
Fletcher said that he expects to see a host of future prospects return to Manchester in the summer for the club’s pre-season so that he can see how these starlets adapt to training with the senior squad players. If the kids impress, they might just see them handed a chance at being a regular first-team player.
“Hopefully we’ll see players like Brandon Williams, Teden Mengi, Jimmy Garner, Ethan Laird, Tahith Chong, and Amad Diallo reap the benefits of that. All of them are doing really well on loan and we’re excited to bring them back in pre-season to see how they fare with our first-team players.”
Youngsters like Brandon Williams and Amad Diallo were given their first-team debuts by ex-United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the pair was given a handful of appearances during the Norwegian’s time at the club. Williams in particular had an impressive start to life in the senior squad in the 2019/20 season as he made multiple appearances in the Premier League and FA Cup that term.
However, the club decided to send the duo, as well as other prospects out on loan this season to see just how well they get on in first-team squads at other clubs. Loan spells are a great way for top sides like United to monitor the progress of their academy starlets and see if they are prepared to handle the big stage.
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With the Old Trafford side currently struggling in front of goal and playing with an arguably weak midfield, perhaps it may be time to hand more first-team minutes for players like Tahith Chong and James Garner next season. It will save the club money to invest in new players, and also keep in line with the team’s DNA of promoting youth.
The summer will prove to be an exciting time for our academy youngsters, and they will be thrilled to hear Fletcher’s comments about their future at the club. The players will be geared up and looking forward to pre-season already, so they can rub shoulders as well as impress the first-team stars to claim a place in the senior squad next season.
