One of the best academies in English football throughout the Premier League era is undoubtedly Manchester United’s Carrington. The Red Devils have produced some spectacular players over the years, many of whom have gone on to become top-flight legends and iconic figures at Old Trafford.
In the first team at the moment, Erik ten Hag has several academy graduates. They range from the likes of Marcus Rashford, who has become a key player for his boyhood club, to breakout stars Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, United’s goalscorers in their 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last season.
However, not all of their academy graduates make it at Old Trafford, with some slipping through the cracks and making a name for themselves elsewhere. One of those players is Angel Gomes.
Angel Gomes' career so far
Gomes has been making waves recently, having impressed for England over the last week, making his senior bow under Lee Carsley against the Republic of Ireland, before making his first start against Finland.
He made his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace in May 2017 and became the first player born in the 2000s to play in the Premier League, at 16 years and 263 days old.
However, things did not really pick up for the midfielder, who could not get a look in for the Red Devils. By the time he left on a free transfer to Lille in 2020, he had made just ten appearances for his boyhood club.
The now 24-year-old, who is the godson of former Red Devils winger Nani, has since found a home at the French club. He has now made 118 appearances for the four-time Ligue 1 champions, scoring eight times and registering eight assists.
He has adapted his game superbly, going from an enterprising number ten as a youngster to the deep-lying playmaker we see today. His most recent appearance for the Three Lions at Wembley was superb, and he operated as a 'regista', orchestrating play from a deep role.
His performances earned him an 8/10 from Patrick Rowe, a journalist for Sky Sports, who dubbed him “an intelligent player”. His stats on Sofascore were also superb, completing an incredible 116 out of 123 passes at a 96% success rate.
Stat
Number
Touches
130
Passes completed
116/123
Pass completion rate
94%
Ground duels won
4/8
Long balls completed
3/4
Tackles won
2/2
There is certainly a case to be made that United made a mistake in letting such a talented academy graduate leave for free. It is certainly a mistake they would want to avoid making with another talented young midfielder they have coming through the ranks, Dan Gore.
Man Utd's next Angel Gomes
It has been a frustrating 12 months for United’s young midfielder Gore, who made his first-team debut last season. Ten Hag gave him his maiden Red Devils appearance in the Carabao Cup against Palace, the same opponent Gomes made his debut against, on his 19th birthday.
The youngster also played one minute against Aston Villa on Boxing Day last season, his Premier League bow.
Subsequently, the 19-year-old went out on loan to League One side Port Vale for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign. However, he made just one appearance for the Valiants, before unfortunately picking up an injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season.
As per a report from the Manchester Evening News, Gore dislocated his shoulder in a training session just before pre-season, meaning he missed the Red Devils tour to the United States.
However, the report explains he should be back soon enough, citing 'the early weeks of the 2024/25 season' as his targeted return from injury. He will be hoping he can break into a fairly thin-on-the-ground United midfield, with opportunities potentially coming in the Carabao Cup and the Europa League.
In terms of his profile, Gore is a technical midfielder and is particularly a superb ball carrier. He is small in stature, just 5 foot 5, although this is something he uses to his advantage, much in the same manner as the diminutive Gomes.
The Carrington graduate uses his low centre of gravity superbly and is able to slalom past defenders with ease and progress the ball through the lines. He was described as an “exciting talent” by football scout Antonio Mango.
Having already seen his FA Youth Cup-winning colleague, Mainoo, break into the first-team fold – with the pair lining up together in that showpiece triumph in 2022 – Gore could be the next big thing off the conveyor belt at Old Trafford.
There could be a case to be made that a Gore-Mainoo axis could be the future of United's first-team midfield, with the pair seemingly developing a real understanding together, as Gore himself has noted:
"Kobbie [Mainoo] is a top player and a good lad as well. We work well with each other. If one is out of position the other will fill in. We have a good connection, and we know each other very well."
While Gore’s contract expires in 2026, he still has plenty of time to recover from injury and impress the Red Devils’ coaches and manager, with the hope of soon following in Mainoo's footsteps.
Whatever happens, the club will want to avoid another Gomes situation and lose an excellent youngster for free only for him to kick on and become an England international a few years later.
INEOS should've sold Man Utd dud who earns 10x more than Mainoo
He is their 4th-highest earner
ByJoe NuttallSep 8, 2024