Manchester United have always had some of the best young talent in English football. Of course, much of that comes from their academies, going back to the Busby Babes, the Class of 1992, and more recently Marcus Rashford and Koby Mainu.
But that doesn’t mean United’s teenage talent is always homegrown. Gerard Pique, for example, was a teenager when he first moved to Old Trafford.
But Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are arguably the most famous examples of United’s highly rated teenage stars who were not graduates of a respected academy.
Rooney and Ronaldo’s achievements as teenagers at United
Rooney and Ronaldo joined United a year apart, the former joining after Euro 2004 and the latter one summer later in August 2003.
They instantly formed a deadly partnership at Old Trafford.
The early years, when they were both teenagers, were extraordinary. Despite their age and relative inexperience, the two youngsters have settled into playing for United like ducks to water.
You might be surprised to learn that the pair only scored once, when they were teenagers, despite playing together in 205 games and scoring 27 goals, according to Transfermarkt.
That particular shot was Rooney’s iconic shot against Liverpool, with Ronaldo scoring and United winning the match.
Individually, they did well for United before they turned 20. The Red Devils’ all-time leading scorer, he scored 21 times as a teenager for the club.
As for Ronaldo, the Portuguese legend scored 11 goals at home for United before his 20th birthday.
Indeed, there’s a strong argument to be made that United haven’t had a teenage talent as exciting as Rooney or Ronaldo since the pair turned 20.
However, one of their current players could definitely fit that bill.
United teen as exciting as Rooney and Ronaldo
The former United duo showed what it takes to shine for United as teenagers in the early 2000s. The courage and intensity with which you have to play and the pressure you have to deal with can make things difficult.
Now, one player in United’s current squad who appears to be able to juggle these demands is 19-year-old French player Lenny Yolo. The centre-back has shone so far during his time at the club, with Statman Dave even calling him a ‘generational player’.
The former Lille youngster has cemented his place in Ruben Amorim’s starting XI at Old Trafford after recovering from an ankle injury sustained in pre-season last year.
He has now made 40 appearances for the club, his first goal coming against Lyon in the Europa League last season.
Confident defenders tend to operate on the right side of Amorim’s back three. Overlap analyst H said he is a perfect fit for the role because he is “highly athletic” and praised his defensive work in the channel.
But it’s not just his off-the-ball exploits that make the 19-year-old such an exciting talent. His progressive numbers are very noticeable, especially when carrying the ball.
Last year, he averaged 1.74 actions per 90 minutes and ranked in the top 6% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries.
Endowment key statistics for the past 365 days | ||
|---|---|---|
State (per 90) | number | Percentile vs. CB |
Pass accuracy | 91.3% | 86th place |
progressive path | 3.67 | 58th place |
progressive carry | 1.74 | 94th place |
tackle | 1.91 | 80th place |
intercept | 1.32 | 75th place |
Fbref statistics | ||
There is no doubt that Yoro has an exciting talent. At just 19 years old, he displayed great progressive traits and intelligent, athletic defence, establishing himself as a key player in United’s starting line-up.
It’s certainly exciting when a club brings home a gold medal for a talented teenager from outside the academy.
The last two players who really fit into this box are certainly Rooney and Ronaldo, but it feels as though Yoro has other players he could include in the conversation.
