It’s well known that Manchester United allows its young players to flourish, and this season has been no exception.

Although Willy Kambwala and Omari Forson are some instances of players who have taken the Premier League by storm, Kobbie Mainoo is the main man who has taken the league by storm. He recently scored the game-winning goal away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Alejandro Garnacho was last season’s breakthrough star and is off to a great start with seven goals across all competitions. However, let’s see who Erik ten Hag would consider starting next.

The best of Carrington

As previously said, since making his debut against Everton at the end of November, Mainoo has grown into a vital member of the Red Devils’ lineup this season. Since then, the 18-year-old has participated in 12 more games, starting each of United’s past five games and tallying two goals.

But Marcus Rashford, who rose through the ranks at Carrington and is currently rated at £85 million by CIES Football Observatory, is the ideal model of a player that all academy players should want to be like.

In February 2016, the number ten made his Premier League and Europa League debuts, scoring once against Arsenal and once against United, respectively.

Manchester United Premier League’s Marcus Rashford
Ever since, his quickness and goal-scoring prowess have scared off opposing defences. He has scored 128 goals in 387 games for the team he grew up playing for, which the forward has called a “dream come true.”

Despite the ongoing criticism from the fan base, the Wythenshawe star, who is only 26 years old, is already well on his way to becoming a United legend. Over the course of ten years of disappointment, frustration, and underperformance, he has been one of the standout players.

The next big thing could be Shola Shoretire.

The young player Shola Shoretire has been around for a while; he made his Premier League debut against Newcastle about three years ago this month.

Shoretire-Shola-Manchester-United
In that same season, he also made his debut in the UEFA Europa League, finished first in the Premier League 2 for United, and took home the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year trophy—an honour that Rashford shared with him in the 2015–16 campaign.

During the previous season, the English forward played 16 games on loan at Bolton Wanderers in League One, where he scored just once, giving him first-team experience in the men’s game.

The 2023/24 Stats for Shoretire

rivalry

Games

Objectives

Helps

Second Premier League

9.

4

4

The EFL Trophy

3.

2.

0

Statistics from Transfermarkt

The 20-year-old is clearly overwhelming every opponent in the youth team this season, as you can see, and he is simply waiting for another chance to succeed with the starting squad.

Though it shouldn’t be too long until he gets his chance, since Statman Dave refers to him as a “special player”—and judging by the tape below, it is hard to disagree—he did get minutes during United’s preseason tour. However, he didn’t get to play with the regular starters.

Like Rashford, who has 74 career assists for the Red Devils, Shoretire is as much of a creator as he is a goal scorer.

Ten Hag is hoping that Rashford 2.0 will be an English attacker who comes through the system and has the same success as the England international.