- Manchester United assistant is an unsung hero
- Binnion was previously U18 and U21 manager at the club
- Now forms part of Carrick’s thriving backroom staff
Throughout Manchester United‘s history, one measure of success has been the promotion of youth stars to the first team.
While the headlines are usually reserved for the players or the manager, the work that happens on a daily basis at Carrington is driven by figures like Travis Binnion.
Up until this season, Binnion’s role was ‘head of player development and coaching’ at United. He was promoted from his role as Under-21s lead after Ruben Amorim’s sacking. He has formed part of interim boss Michael Carrick‘s backroom staff, which also includes Jonny Evans, Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate.
Amongst those names, Binnion’s is the one unfamiliar to most.
Binnion’s Unsung Work at Youth Level
Before joining United in 2019, Travis Binnion spent over a decade at Sheffield United, where he was instrumental in nurturing talents like Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Harry Maguire.
Since arriving in Manchester, his impact has been visible. He led the Under-18s to FA Youth Cup glory in 2022, managing a generation that included Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
He later managed the U21 setup, previously having close links with those aboce him around the club. Speaking in December 2025, he said: “I will speak to Carlos, Ruben’s assistant. I’ll speak to him daily, twice daily, three times daily. I probably speak to Ruben, on average, maybe every couple of weeks, touching base on players.
“And [director of football] Jason [Wilcox], we have conversations regularly, whether it’s myself or [director of Academy] Stephen Torpey. So, yeah, that’s sort of the managing upwards bit, in terms of getting the plan right for players that are with the first team.”
During his time as U21’s manager, players like Shea Lacey and Ayden Heaven were developed under him, who later made appearances under Amorim. Both have played a part in Carrick’s team too, with Heaven playing an integral part in recent weeks.
Since Binnion’s promotion to the senior team, Adam Lawrence returned to the Reds to take charge for the remainder of the season. Uncertainty around the role for next season currently looms.
Working with Forwards
This season, Binnion has been credited by Carrick for his work, particularly with the forwards. Speaking last month, the 44-year-old said: “And so Trav has done a bit of work, quite a bit of work with the forwards, sometimes as a unit, sometimes as a group, sometimes as individuals, so it’s just constant, really, and trying to keep improving.”
The confidence that Benjamin Sesko is carrying in his game is quite apparent to see. The Slovenian scored a fantastic goal against Brentford in the last match. He has scored 11 goals in his debut season so far, with four games left to play.
Whether there is still a place for Binnion in the first team next season is yet to be seen. However, there will and should be a place around for an unsung hero like him. His organic rise from youth level to senior level is not by luck. It is the accumulation of hard work throughout the years that has placed him in a position where he has inspired multiple generations of stars coming through at Old Trafford.
