Greenwood, Williams and the 14 Man Utd academy stars to debut under Ole

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:39 CDT
• 7 min read

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the opportunity on Tuesday to hand Anthony Elanga his debut for the club in the Premier League against Leicester.

Elanaga became the 14th player to have turned out for the Man Utd Academy to make his debut since Solskjaer took charge of the side in 2018.

It is an impressive record that the Norwegian has put together – but how have these young players fared since making their Old Trafford bows?

Tahith Chong

Much was expected of Dutch winger Chong when he graduated from the academy to make his debut against Reading in the FA Cup in 2019. He has gone on to play 16 times for Man Utd, though largely in cup competitions.

A loan spell at Werder Bremen followed last season and he is presently at Club Brugge, where he is not playing with any distinction.

James Garner

Dubbed the ‘next Michael Carrick’ by Solskjaer himself, the 20-year-old Garner spent the season on loan at Watford and Nottingham Forest in the Championship. He has established himself as a regular at that level and has typically performed well in a struggling Forest side.

Mason Greenwood

Regarded as one of the hottest talents in England, Greenwood has firmly established himself as an option in the Man Utd first team, even if he is rotated out to the bench on a regular basis. A tally of 12 goals and five assists marks good progression from the young forward.

Brandon Williams

The 20-year-old Williams remains around the Man Utd first-team squad, though with only 13 appearances this season, it has been a somewhat frustrating campaign for the young left-back. Third choice in his role behind Luke Shaw and Alex Telles, will be a contender for a loan move in the summer.

Di’Shon Bernard

Thrown into a Europa League match against Astana, that remains his sole Man Utd appearance in the first team. He marked it with an own goal. Bernard has been on loan at Salford this season, where he has been a regular.

Ethan Laird

England Under-19 international defender Laird also debuted against Astana but went on to play once more for Man Utd before being shifted to MK Dons on loan. He played more than half of the League 1 outfit’s fixtures this season.

Dylan Levitt

Another to feature on that trip to Kazakhstan, Levitt impressed in the midfield. Since then, he has struggled on loan at Charlton and is presently with Istra in Croatia. He has been in and out of the team for the club that is propping up the standings in the Prva Liga.

D’Mani Mellor

Remains at Man Utd, having also been part of the contingent to debut against Astra. Now 20, he continues to turn out for the Under-23 side.

Largie Ramazani

The only member of Solskjaer’s debutants to have left the club, Ramazani was the fifth player to debut in Astana. He left Man Utd at the end of his contract to move to Almeria in Spain’s second tier. Has spent the season as a substitute but could be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lionel Messi next term if Almeria can close out promotion.

Ethan Galbraith

Compared to Barcelona star Andres Iniesta, Ethan Galbraith remains at the club and has been impressing with the youth team. Has already made his Northern Ireland debut.

Teden Mengi

Featured as a late substitute in the Europa League clash with LASK in August but has not played with the first-team since. Instead, he has been working with Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney at Derby, where he helped the club secure safety in the Championship.

Dean Henderson

Had to bide his time by way of five loan moves, by Henderson is now vying for a regular start with David de Gea. Has managed 24 appearances this season – including 11 in the league. Besides Greenwood, he is the academy player to have made the most progress.

Shola Shoretire

Regarded as one of the most exciting players in the Man Utd academy system, the 17-year-old has made a couple of brief cameos against Newcastle and Real Sociedad. More is surely to come, although the possible arrival of Jadon Sancho threatens to complicate his life.

Anthony Elanga

Made his debut against Leicester on 11 May. Played the final 24 minutes of a 2-1 loss.