Spending big money in the transfer market is one way to bring about success in the modern game, but it’s not a guaranteed marker that trophies will follow.
Manchester United have spent upwards of £800m in the last three years alone, but they are currently on a 12-month drought without any form of silverware under Ruben Amorim.
Another option football clubs desperately rely on is their youth systems, with the use of top-level academies often presenting a constant conveyor belt of talent for the future.
The Red Devils have been known for their success in producing elite-level stars, with the Class of ’92’ arguably one of the most iconic groups of prospects to make the jump into the professional game.
One other player has also successfully made the jump and impressed at Old Trafford in recent seasons, after massively impressing through the ranks as a youngster.
Marcus Rashford’s youth record at Man Utd
Many of United’s young prospects join the club at a young age and spend the majority of their youth years as part of the Red Devils’ infamous academy system.
Attacker Marcus Rashford was no different after joining the club at the age of seven and enduring a remarkable rise and progression through the ranks as a youngster.
It’s unclear how many goals he scored before reaching the U18 age group, but he did make himself a household name as he edged towards the end of his scholarship.
The Englishman scored 13 goals for the U18s during the 2015/16 season – sitting at the top of their goalscoring charts until he was handed his first-team debut.
At 18 years and 113 days, Rashford was handed his first start against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League – subsequently taking advantage of the opportunity handed his way.
Despite being a teenager, he netted twice against the Danish outfit in February 2016, which made him an instant hit with the Red Devils’ supporters at Old Trafford.
He’s since racked up over 450 appearances for his boyhood club, but has had to move away on a temporary basis to gain regular football after falling down Amorim’s pecking order.
The United gem who could be their next Rashford
The decision to offload Rashford by Amorim has been one that has been called into question over recent weeks, amid his form on loan at Barcelona from United.
He scored within the first few minutes of the Amorim tenure against Ipswich Town, but it would be one of the few highlights for the forward after a fallout with the 40-year-old.
The 27-year-old has since joined Hansi Flick’s side on loan for the 2025/26 campaign, scoring five times and registering four assists in his 12 outings for the LaLiga outfit.
However, he still has the chance to resurrect his career in the near future, but he could find it tricky to secure his place in the first-team if Chido Obi is handed a chance to thrive.
The 17-year-old generated huge excitement last season with his phenomenal goalscoring record at youth level – with the Dane thriving with valuable minutes at Carrington.
He scored 17 times in just 20 appearances, often featuring for the club’s U18 and U21 sides and helping the former finish second in the youth Premier League.
As a result, he was handed multiple substitute appearances in the first-team setup, registering seven league outings, but only appearing for a total of 160 minutes.
Arsenal U18s
21
32
Arsenal U21s
2
0
Man Utd U18s
11
13
Man Utd U21s
18
8
Man Utd first-team
8
0
Despite not scoring, Obi was highly praised by many for his performances – leading to one analyst labelling him as a “homegrown Oshimen” – a huge compliment given the Nigerian’s record of 37 goals in 41 appearances throughout 2024/25.
At just 17, it’s crucial that Amorim and various other staff behind the scenes manage the youngster in the right way to help him reach his full potential at the Theatre of Dreams.
However, the similarities to Rashford are there for all to see, given his time in the youth system, but he’s yet to score as early as the Englishman did in the first-team.
At present, the Dane is still 12 months younger than the former academy graduate when he made his first-team bow, showcasing how much time he has to make an impact under Amorim.
However, if Obi can replicate Rashford’s form with the Red Devils, he may have a huge bearing on any success the side manages to achieve in the near future.