Manchester United Football Club Under-21s is the most senior of Manchester United's youth teams and the club's former reserve team. They play in the Premier League 2, the highest tier of the Professional Development League. The team is effectively Manchester United's second-string side, but is limited to five outfield players and one goalkeeper over the age of 21 per game following the introduction of new regulations from the 2022–23 season, a change from three outfield players over age 23 introduced in 2016–17. The age limit previously was again 21, from 2012–13. The team's current manager is Travis Binnion, who took over from Mark Dempsey in 2023.

Quick Facts Full name, Nickname(s) ...

Manchester United F.C. Under-21s

Full name	Manchester United Football Club Under-21s
Nickname(s)	The Red Devils, United
Founded	1878, as Newton Heath Reserves
Ground	Leigh Sports Village, Leigh
Capacity	12,000[1]
Co-chairmen	Joel and Avram Glazer
Manager	Travis Binnion
League	Premier League 2 Division 1
2022–23	Premier League 2 Division 1, 9th
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

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They were champions of the former Premier Reserve League five times (in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2012) between its introduction in 1999 and its dissolution in 2012. The team also won the 2012–13 Professional U21 Development League 1 in its inaugural season, and again in 2015 and 2016. The team also participates in the regional Manchester Senior Cup and the Lancashire Senior Cup. From the 2019–20 edition, they also participate in the nationwide EFL Trophy along with senior teams from levels 3 and 4 of the English football league system, as teams from levels 1 and 2 are restricted to players aged 21 and under.

From November 2008 to August 2013, the team played its home matches at Moss Lane in Altrincham, the home of Altrincham For the 2013–14 Under-21 Premier League season, the team has played the majority of its home matches at Salford City Stadium in Barton-upon-Irwell.^[2] Since 2014–15, the team play its home matches at Leigh Sports Village.^[3] Rules set out by the Premier League state that at least three home league games per season must be played at the club's main stadium, Old Trafford.^[4] In previous seasons, the team has played at the Victoria Stadium, the home of Northwich Victoria, and Ewen Fields, the home of Hyde United.^[5]

Manchester United also has an Under-18s team that plays in the Premier League Under-18s Group 2 and the FA Youth Cup. The under-18s play their home games at the club's Trafford Training Centre in Carrington.

Quick Facts Full name, Nickname(s) ...

Manchester United F.C. Under-18s

Full name	Manchester United Football Club Under-18s
Nickname(s)	The Red Devils, United
Founded	1998
Ground	Trafford Training Centre Carrington
Co-chairmen	Joel and Avram Glazer
Head coach	Adam Lawrence
League	U18 Premier League North
2022–23	U18 Premier League North, 3rd
Home colours Away colours Third colours

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The Manchester United Academy was established in 1998, following the reorganisation of youth football in England, but has roots stretching all the way back to the 1930s with the establishment of the Manchester United Junior Athletic Club (MUJAC), and has been responsible for producing some of Manchester United's greatest ever players, including the club's top five all-time appearance makers, Ryan Giggs, Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, and the new wave of home-grown talents known as Fergie's Fledglings. The current academy is based at the club's Aon Training Complex, an 85-acre (340,000 m²) site in the Manchester suburb of Carrington.

The Manchester United youth team is statistically the most successful in English football, with nine players in the English football Hall of Fame (Duncan Edwards, Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Nobby Stiles, Mark Hughes, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Johnny Giles). Manchester United also have the best FA Youth Cup record, winning on ten occasions out of 14 final appearances.

The academy comprises age-group teams ranging from Under-9s up to the flagship Under-18s, who currently compete in Group C of the Premier Academy League and in the FA Youth Cup. The Under-16s and Under-18s typically play their academy league games at 11am on Saturday mornings at Carrington, while Youth Cup games are generally played at either Altrincham's Moss Lane ground (where the under-23s play their home games) or the club's 76,000-capacity Old Trafford home, in order to cater for the greater number of supporters these fixtures attract.

In 2007, Manchester United Under-18s won the Champions Youth Cup, intended to be an analogue to the FIFA Club World Cup for youth sides, beating Juventus 1–0 in the final in Malaysia. It was their first and only title, since the tournament was scrapped after only one edition.

Current squad

As of 16 September 2023^{[25][26][27][28]}

More information Nat., Player ...

Nat.	Player	Date of birth	Position	International caps	Previous club	Joined United
2nd Year Scholars
	Thomas Myles	(2005-11-17) 17 November 2005 (age 18)	GK			July 2022
	Elyh Harrison	(2006-02-19) 19 February 2006 (age 18)	GK		Stevenage	July 2022
	James Nolan	(2005-10-02) 2 October 2005 (age 18)	DF	Capped at Under-18 level		July 2022
	Louis Jackson	(2005-09-18) 18 September 2005 (age 18)	DF	Capped at Under-18 level		July 2022
	Jack Kingdon	(2005-11-16) 16 November 2005 (age 18)	DF	Capped at Under-18 level		July 2022
	Habeeb Ogunneye	(2005-11-12) 12 November 2005 (age 18)	DF	Capped at Under-18 level		July 2022
	Ethan Williams	(2005-11-14) 14 November 2005 (age 18)	MF	Capped at Under-15 level	Barnsley	July 2022
	Jack Moorhouse	(2005-11-29) 29 November 2005 (age 18)	MF			July 2022
	Ruben Curley	(2005-09-05) 5 September 2005 (age 18)	MF			July 2022
	Finley McAllister	(2006-07-16) 16 July 2006 (age 17)	MF	Capped at Under-17 level		July 2022
	Malachi Sharpe	(2005-11-20) 20 November 2005 (age 18)	FW	Capped at Under-18 level	Derby County	July 2022
	Ashton Missin	(2006-08-15) 15 August 2006 (age 17)	FW			July 2022
	Ethan Wheatley	(2006-01-20) 20 January 2006 (age 18)	FW			July 2022
1st Year Scholars[29]
	Will Murdock	(2007-05-26) 26 May 2007 (age 16)	GK	Capped at Under-17 level		July 2023
	Jaydan Kamason	(2006-12-08) 8 December 2006 (age 17)	DF	Capped at Under-16 level		July 2023
	Reece Munro	(2007-07-21) 21 July 2007 (age 16)	DF			July 2023
	Harry Amass	(2007-02-16) 16 February 2007 (age 17)	DF		Watford	July 2023
	Zach Baumann	(2007-01-02) 2 January 2007 (age 17)	MF			July 2023
	Jacob Devaney	(2007-06-11) 11 June 2007 (age 16)	MF			July 2023
	Jayce Fitzgerald	(2007-05-09) 9 May 2007 (age 16)	MF	Capped at Under-16 level		July 2023
	Tyler Fletcher	(2007-03-19) 19 March 2007 (age 17)	MF		Manchester City	July 2023
	Jack Fletcher	(2007-03-19) 19 March 2007 (age 17)	MF		Manchester City	July 2023
	James Scanlon	(2006-09-28) 28 September 2006 (age 17)	MF	Capped at senior level	Derby County	July 2023
	Gabriele Biancheri	(2006-09-18) 18 September 2006 (age 17)	FW	Capped at Under-17 level	Cardiff City	July 2023
	Sekou Kaba	(2007-03-28) 28 March 2007 (age 17)	FW		Derby County	July 2023
	Shea Lacey	(2007-04-14) 14 April 2007 (age 17)	FW	Capped at Under-17 level		July 2023
	Victor Musa	(2006-09-05) 5 September 2006 (age 17)	FW	Capped at Under-16 level	Bradford City	July 2023

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The following is a list of players who have played in the Manchester United youth team (U16–U18) and represented a country (not necessarily their country of birth) at full international level.^[36] Players who are currently playing at Manchester United, or for another club on loan from Manchester United, are highlighted in bold.

Prior to 1990, a single award was presented to the best young player of that season. Between 1982 and 1985, this was the entitled "Young Player of the Year"; the award then became known as the "Denzil Haroun Young Player of the Year" between 1986 and 1989 in honour of Denzil Haroun, a former club director and brother-in-law of former club chairman Louis Edwards.

Since 1990, individual awards are made to the best player of the Academy and the Reserves. The "Young Player of the Year" is named in honour of Jimmy Murphy, Sir Matt Busby's long-time assistant manager, who died in 1989, and the best reserve is awarded the "Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year".