Manchester United Women’s Under-21 side will train at Carrington this season in a move the club believe marks a major step for their academy pathway.
The squad have previously trained at Leigh Sports Village, around 15 miles from Carrington. United now plan to bring the group into the club’s main training complex for the new campaign.
BBC Sport reports that United believe the move will improve alignment with Marc Skinner’s first-team squad. It should also give academy players better access to facilities, staff and performance support.
United’s senior women returned to their £7m bespoke facility at Carrington last August. That followed a wider £50m upgrade at the training ground.
The Under-21s finished fourth last season, behind Arsenal. They also won the Professional Game Academy Plate after beating Durham in the final.
United Point To Academy Commitment
The decision comes with United’s investment in the women’s side still under scrutiny. Questions have been asked over support for Skinner’s senior squad, particularly in recruitment and facilities.
United view the academy move as evidence of longer-term planning. The club believe closer contact with first-team operations can help young players develop quicker.
Matt Johnson, United’s director of women’s football, called it “another significant milestone” for Manchester United Women. He said the move reflected the club’s ambition for the academy and its homegrown pathway.
Johnson has also discussed United’s women’s football pathway on the club’s Inside Carrington podcast, where the academy route into the senior environment was a key theme.
The extra alignment with the first team should help performance. United will also hope it gives young players a clearer view of the route into Skinner’s squad.
The move will not answer every question around United’s women’s set-up. Senior recruitment and squad depth remain separate issues.
It does, though, give the club a stronger academy base. For a programme trying to prove its long-term commitment, Carrington is a meaningful place to start.
