GIVE ERIK PERFECT TEN PERFORMANCE
Academy coach Cochrane wants United’s star kids to dazzle new Reds boss in final...and make case for step up to the big time
MANCHESTER UNITED’S starlets have been urged to impress new boss Erik ten Hag in tomorrow’s FA Youth Cup final. A crowd of more than 60,000 is expected at Old Trafford to see United’s Under-18s take on Nottingham Forest.
The legendary ‘Class of 92’ won the competition and the club’s academy head Justin Cochrane believes the final can be a springboard for a new generation of homegrown talent.
He said: “This is a big moment, you can’t replicate this many supporters in the stadium for a youth game.
“It is an opportunity to create some memories the players will never forget.
“We have exciting players and that is what the Manchester United supporters will see when they come to the game. They should be pretty pleased with what is to come over the next few years. “Hopefully these players who play will also impress the incoming manager or at least make the manager aware of some of their names. “That is the challenge.
This is a big occasion in the players’ careers. This will help them create memories and hopefully the performance will alert the people upstairs, the new manager and put them in this frame.”
Ten Hag has a three-year deal to take over United in July after forging a reputation for developing youngsters at Ajax such as Frenkie de
Jong and Matthijs de Ligt. Cochrane added: “It is great that the manager has worked with young players as well as being an excellent manager.
“This club provides opportunities and I am sure that will be part of the remit. It is a massive football club but one that has consistently provided opportunities for youth for years.” Winger Alejandro Garnacho, 17, has already made the step up to come on as substitute last month against Chelsea in the Premier League.
He joins an illustrious list of former Reds to make their senior bow ahead of representing the club in an FA Youth Cup final following in the footsteps of Duncan Edwards, George Best, Norman Whiteside and Ryan Giggs.
Cochrane added: “The word potential is the right word because none of them are quite ready right now to go in and have a big impact.
“But how they develop over the next year or 18 months, I am sure you will see some players in the Premier League.”
UNITED have fended off competition from several Premier League rivals to sign 16-year-old Stevenage goalkeeper Elyh Harrison for a six-figure fee.