Manchester United are the most successful club in FA Youth Cup history, having won it ten times and finished runners-up four times. The last time United won it was in 2011, triumphing against Sheffield United over two legs.
The first leg at Bramall Lane finished in a 2-2 draw, with United taking the lead twice in the game, firstly through Jesse Lingard, before Will Keane thought he had bagged the winner for United. In the second leg, United welcomed the Blades to Old Trafford and braces from Ravel Morrison and Keane helped the Red Devils seal a comfortable 4-1 victory and winning 6-3 on aggregate.
United have produced some fine players in previous Youth Cup winning sides, with the Busby Babes (Duncan Edwards, Bobby Charlton, George Best) and the Class of ’92 (Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt) among the ones that would go on to have fabulous careers at Old Trafford, but what happened to the Class of ’11, many of which were tipped to have bright futures?
First Leg: Sam Johnstone, Michael Keane, Sean McGinty, Tom Thorpe (c), Michele Fornasier, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba, Will Keane, Ravel Morrison, Gyliano van Velzen. (Subs: Joe Coll, Alberto Massacci, Zeki Fryers, Tom Lawrence, John Cofie)
Second Leg: Sam Johnstone, Michael Keane, Sean McGinty, Tom Thorpe (c), Michele Fornasier, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba, Will Keane, Ravel Morrison, Gyliano van Velzen. (Subs: Joe Coll, Alberto Massacci, Tyler Blackett, Larnell Cole, John Cofie)
Sam Johnstone
Following the FA Youth Cup victory, Johnstone was sent out on a series of loans, which took him to Scunthorpe United, Walsall, Yeovil Town and Doncaster Rovers. The spell with Doncaster was particularly successful, with the 21-year old making 36 appearances in total and gaining valuable experience and first team action.
His impressive performances caught the eye of Preston North End, and in January 2015, Johnstone joined his hometown club on loan until the end of the season. Solid in goal, he helped Preston break their play-off hoodoo and gain promotion to the Championship, after beating Swindon Town 4-0 in the play-off final at Wembley.
However, it is unlikely that Johnstone will ever get the opportunity to break into the first team, with the likes of David de Gea, Victor Valdes and Anders Lindegaard ahead of him in the pecking order.
Michael Keane
Keane had made his senior debut at United before the FA Youth Cup victory, having come on as a substitute in a fourth round League Cup tie against Aldershot Town. Another two League Cup appearances would come in the following season, as Keane won the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year in 2012 with 60% of the total vote.
Loan spells with Leicester City, Derby County and Blackburn Rovers would follow, before he was given a league debut this past season by Louis van Gaal against Sunderland, coming on as a replacement for an injured Chris Smalling. However, a week later he was sent out on loan to Burnley, initially until January, but after impressing Sean Dyche, the move was made permanent for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be £2 million.
Sean McGinty
English-born Irish defender McGinty signed his first professional contract after the FA Youth Cup success, but that was the only notable thing about his time at United. Loans to Morecambe, Oxford United, Carlisle United failed to work out, and after his final loan move to Tranmere Rovers ending in his loan being terminated to due a breach of discipline, McGinty had the honour of the becoming the last player to have his contract terminated by Sir Alex Ferguson.
McGinty then joined Sheffield United on a two-year deal, but once again failed to break into the first team after spells on loan at Northampton Town and Rochdale. McGinty made a permanent move to Rochdale last season, and after loan spells at FC Halifax Town and Aldershot Town, he was released after the end of the season.
Tom Thorpe
Thorpe captained United to FA Youth Cup success, and stepped up to the under-21 team. Although injuries limited his playing time early on, eventually he showed his class to become one of the stalwarts in the reserves and took over the captaincy for the 2012-13 season and led United to inaugural Under-21 Premier League title.
Thorpe’s performances in the under-21s caught the eye of Birmingham City, and they signed him on loan until the end of 2013-14 season, alongside Tyler Blackett and Federico Macheda. Sadly, 14 minutes into his debut for the club, he was stretched off with ligament damage and his loan was terminated.
Thorpe continued to impress, and Louis van Gaal’s injury crisis at the start of the past season allowed Thorpe to make a senior debut in the dying seconds of United’s win against West Ham. That was the only appearance he made in the first team all season long, and it looks as if Thorpe will be leaving the club this summer in the search of first team action.
Michele Fornasier
After lifting the FA Youth Cup, Fornasier appeared twice for United in the Dallas Cup. However, the young Italian was not handed a professional contract, and left the Reds in June 2013 without ever featuring in the first team.
He returned to Italy to sign for Serie A club Sampdoria in July, and made his professional debut in December during a 4-1 home win over Verona in the Coppa Italia. He then made his Serie A debut in February 2014, starting in a 1-0 win over Cagliari. He finished the season with 10 appearances and this past season, he was sent out on loan to Pescara in Serie B, where he has made 12 appearances.
Ryan Tunnicliffe
Tunnicliffe was a pivotal figure in United’s FA Youth Cup success, and was named as the club’s Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year that same season. A six-month loan spell at Peterborough United followed, and Tunnicliffe featured regularly for Darren Ferguson’s side. On his return to United, he became a regular in the reserves, and made his senior debut in September 2012, replacing Marnick Vermijl in a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United in the League Cup, and winning his father a cool £10,000 after he had placed a bet on him making his debut for United 10 years ago.
After his debut, he was sent out on loans to Barnsley and Ipswich Town, and despite Mick McCarthy’s interest in extending his loan at Portman Road, Tunnicliffe returned to Old Trafford in January 2014, before leaving United permanently. Having made just two appearances for United, Tunnicliffe joined Fulham alongside teammate Larnell Cole for an undisclosed fee, reuniting them with former United coach Rene Meulensteen.
However, Meulensteen was soon sacked, and Tunnicliffe was deemed surplus to requirements by Felix Magath and shipped off on loan to Wigan Athletic. This past season, he was sent out on loan to Blackburn Rovers for the first half of the season, before being recalled in January and cementing himself as a first team regular at Craven Cottage under Kit Symons.
Jesse Lingard
Lingard signed his first professional contract with United in the summer after cup success, but was loaned out to Leicester City for a month alongside Michael Keane in November 2012. After his return, Lingard was picked in a 19-man squad for the 2013 pre-season tour. He scored twice against the A-League All Stars, the first of which was United’s first goal under the management of David Moyes, and added two more later on the tour to finish as United’s top scorer of the tour.
Despite hopes that he would break into the first team on the back of his pre-season performances, Lingard was sent out on loan to Birmingham City for a month, scoring just twenty minutes into his professional debut. His loan was extended, but he returned to United in January 2014, featuring on the bench against Swansea City.
He then joined Brighton & Hove Albion on a 93-day loan, featuring 17 times, including in the Championship play-offs. Once again featuring for United on the pre-season tour this past season, he scored against Liverpool in the International Champions Cup Final before making his first team debut against Swansea on the opening day of the season. However, his debut was cut short with a knee injury, and was sent out on loan to Derby County in January, making 14 appearances for the Rams.
Paul Pogba
The one that got away. Pogba made his United debut in September 2011 against Leeds United in the League Cup, and once again featured in the following round against Aldershot Town. In January 2012, he made his Premier League debut against Stoke City, replacing Javier Hernandez in the 72nd minute, and would go on to make another two Premier League appearances as well as a Europa League appearance against Athletic Bilbao.
However, at the end of the season, Pogba left United for Juventus on a free transfer, having failed to sign a new contract. On his departure, Sir Alex Ferguson accused Pogba of disrespecting the club, stating: “I don’t think he showed us any respect at all, to be honest. I’m quite happy that if they [footballers] carry on that way, they’re probably better doing it away from us.” United would come to regret Pogba’s departure, as he has developed into one of the world’s top young midfielders in Turin.
Named as Europe’s Golden Boy (the award for best young player in Europe) in 2013, he has gone on to make more than 100 appearances for Juve, and currently has 22 caps for France, having featured for them at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, winning the tournament’s Best Young Player Award in the process. Pogba has lifted the Serie A title three times, the Coppa Italia and will be playing in the Champions League final on Saturday night against Barcelona in Berlin. How United could do with a player like him now.
Will Keane
Having been with the Reds since the age of 11, Will was prolific throughout the FA Youth Cup campaign, scoring eight goals in six games. He continued his goalscoring form in the reserves, scoring 14 times in 22 league appearances in the 2011/12 season, as well as four goals in seven cup appearances.
Keane then made his senior debut against Blackburn Rovers in December 2011, coming on as a late substitute for Rafael, and big things were tipped for the young man from Stockport, but a knee ligament injury suffered on England Under-19 duty in May 2012 ruled him out for the entire 2012/13 season, stunting his progress. On his return, he continued his rich vein of goalscoring form, and joined Wigan Athletic on a one-month loan alongside Nick Powell.
After failing to find the net in four appearances, he returned to Old Trafford after suffering a groin injury. Once fit, he moved to Queens Park Rangers on loan for the rest of the 2013/14 season, making 10 appearances. Having not made a first team appearance this past season, he was shipped out on loan again to Sheffield Wednesday, where he made 11 appearances and scored three goals.
Ravel Morrison
Morrison was another talent that could have possibly had a magnificent career at Old Trafford, but his attitude let him down and this is another case of what could have been.
Morrison made his senior debut against Aldershot Town in the League Cup, a couple of months after scoring twice in the second leg of the final, and also came off the bench in the defeat to Crystal Palace in the next round. United had confirmed they rejected an offer from Newcastle United for the attacking midfielder in January 2012, but with his contract expiring in June, Morrison signed for West Ham for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.
A clause inserted into Morrison’s contract ensured that United would receive £25,000 for every game he played, but he joined Birmingham City on loan soon after signing, featuring regularly and impressing. On his return in 2013/14 season, he scored on his full debut for West Ham, and it looked as if he was starting to fulfil his talent.
However, in February 2014, he was sent out on loan to Queens Park Rangers, where he made 17 appearances and helped QPR gain promotion by winning the Championship play-off final. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce praised Morrison, but criticised his discipline and his attitude to football and life in general. He was moved out on loan to Cardiff City this past season, but his loan was terminated in December, with Russell Slade stating that he had no future at the club after just seven appearances.
Having been placed on the transfer list, Morrison signed a pre-contract agreement with Lazio in January, with the move to take place this summer. In February, West Ham terminated Morrison’s contract early, and he began to train with Lazio ahead of the proposed move. Maybe the new surroundings will do Morrison the world of good, and at the age of 22, he still has a long career ahead of him.
Gyliano van Velzen
The Dutch winger signed professional terms with United in the summer of 2012, but was immediately sent out on loan to Belgian affiliate Royal Antwerp. Scoring just once in 12 appearances, he returned to Old Trafford but failed to make a first team appearance before being released in the summer of 2013.
After his release, van Velzen signed a three-year deal with Eredivisie club FC Utrecht, making his debut in a 3-0 defeat against Ajax in October 2013. To date, he has only made seven appearances for Utrecht, and seems to be nowhere near the first team side.
Joe Coll
The backup goalkeeper in the FA Youth Cup side, Coll spent two seasons at Old Trafford, playing regularly in his first season at the club. However, his playing time diminished in his second season, and he decided to leave United after club officials suggested that the situation would remain the same if he stayed at the club.
He competed in the FIFPro Winter Tournament in January 2014, a showcase for unemployed footballers, after United’s Irish scout Joe Corcoran got him involved as a last minute replacement. Currently, he features for the Under-21 side of his local club in Donegal.
Alberto Massacci
The Italian right-back’s development was severely stunted by numerous injuries throughout his time at United, and despite moving up from the Under-18s to the Under-21s in July 2011, he was released a year later. He returned to his homeland to join Modena FC, where he made 15 appearances for the club before joining Latina Calcio on a season-long loan.
On his return to Modena, he was released by the club, and has now joined VF Colligiana, where he currently remains.
Zeki Fryers
The young full-back was tipped as one of United’s hottest prospects, but he only made a handful appearances for United. He made his debut in September 2011 in a League Cup tie against Leeds United, and made his first league appearance as a substitute for Patrice Evra against Wolves in December 2011.
Fryers would leave the club at the end of the 2011/12 season, alongside Ravel Morrison. The defender spent the summer training with Tottenham ahead of a proposed move, but both clubs were unable to agree on a compensation package. Belgian club Standard Liege swooped in, and Fryers signed a two-year deal in August 2012. Fryers made seven appearances under the management of Ron Jans, but once Jans was sacked, Fryers fell out of favour and told his agent he has homesick.
At this point, Tottenham came in again for Fryers and he made the switch to London in January 2013, which led to Sir Alex Ferguson accusing Tottenham of a “blatant manipulation” of the rules. Fryers went straight to the development squad at White Hart Lane, and failed to break into the first team, only making 16 appearances in total for Tottenham.
In September 2014, he signed for Crystal Palace for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, but only managed to play just three minutes in the Premier League and only one cup appearance before being farmed out on loan to Rotherham United and Ipswich Town.
Tyler Blackett
Blackett was handed professional terms in July 2012, and featured occasionally in youth team action before being sent out on loan to Championship side Blackpool in November 2013. He made five appearances in total, as his loan was extended until January 2014.
He then joined Birmingham City for the rest of season, making eight appearances in total for the Blues. With Louis van Gaal lacking depth in his squad, Blackett was called up to the first-team squad for the pre-season tour to the US, where van Gaal praised his performances at centre back.
An injury crisis, along with the departure of defensive stalwarts Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, allowed Blackett to remain with the first team squad on a permanent basis, making his competitive debut and playing the whole 90 minutes in a 2-1 defeat against Swansea City. He has gone on to make 11 more appearances for United this season, and could potentially be a first team regular in the future if he continues to make good progress.
Tom Lawrence
The Welsh attacking midfielder signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2012, but with the likes of Federico Macheda, Angelo Henriquez and Joshua King ahead of him in the pecking order, Lawrence often found himself on the bench in the reserves, with minimal game time. Still, he managed to score four goals in twenty appearances, as well as an assist to Larnell Cole’s winning goal against Tottenham in the final of the Under-21 Premier League.
He was sent out on loan to Carlisle United, where he failed to make much of an impact. He was then shipped out to Yeovil Town, where he made 19 appearances and scored twice as the Glovers were relegated to League One.
On his return to Old Trafford, he was given his United debut by interim player-manager Ryan Giggs, replacing Giggs himself in a 3-1 Premier League win against Hull City. With this show of faith from Giggs, it seemed as if a first team breakthrough was imminent for Lawrence, but in September 2014 he was sold to Leicester City for an undisclosed fee.
Signing a four-year deal, he was loaned out to Rotherham United, making six appearances and scoring a goal. After returning from his loan in January 2015, Lawrence made his debut for Leicester in a FA Cup tie against Newcastle United before making a further three Premier League appearances this past season.
Larnell Cole
Cole made his United debut soon after cup success, making a substitute appearance in a League Cup win over Leeds United in September 2011. He struggled to break into Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans, but continued to remain on the periphery, and produced some eye-catching performances in the Under-21s, scoring a hat-trick against Liverpool in the semi-final of the Under-21 Premier League, before doubling his tally against Tottenham in the final.
However, Cole would never make another appearance for United, as in January 2014 he was sold to Fulham for an undisclosed fee, joining fellow United teammate Ryan Tunnicliffe and former United coach Rene Meulensteen. Similarly to Tunnicliffe, Cole was deemed surplus to requirements by Felix Magath once Meulensteen was sacked, and he was farmed out on loan to MK Dons until the end of the 2013/14 season, but returned to the club after suffering a knee injury.
Cole has been out for almost the entirety of this past season, having struggled with injuries. Unlike Tunnicliffe, he hasn’t kicked on and remains mired in Fulham’s Under-21 side.
John Cofie
Despite signing professional terms with United in 2010, Cofie failed to break through to the reserve side, and in January 2012 was sent out on loan to Royal Antwerp to gain first-team experience.
In the summer of 2012, Cofie went on a season-long loan with Sheffield United, and scoring his first goal a week after joining the Blades on loan. However, having scored just one more goal in his next 15 appearances, in January 2013 it was revealed that Cofie had returned to Old Trafford, despite wanting to see out the loan deal.
In February of the same year, Cofie joined Notts County on a one-month loan, and scored on his debut. Despite this, the deal was not extended, and at the end of the season, Cofie was released by United.
Cofie then signed a one-year deal with Championship side Barnsley, in the summer of 2013, but failed to make a single appearance before being released. Norwegian side Molde were the next side to take a punt on Cofie, but similarly the striker failed to make a single appearance for the club before being released in January 2015.
Cofie then signed a short-term contract with Crawley Town in March 2015, where he remains, having made just one appearance for the club.
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