Manchester United F.C. Under-21s and Academy
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.
They were champions of the former Premier Reserve League five times 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. Since 2014–15, the team play its home matches at Leigh Sports Village. 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. In previous seasons, the team has played at the Victoria Stadium, the home of Northwich Victoria, and Ewen Fields, the home of Hyde United.
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.
Under-21s
Current squad
Out on loan
Managerial history
Honours
- Premier League 2: 3
- *2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Premier Reserve League
- *Play-off Final Winners: 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012
- *Northern Champions: 2002, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012
- Central League: 9
- *1912–13, 1920–21, 1938–39, 1946–47, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97
- Central League Division 1 West: 1
- *2005
- Central League Cup: 1
- *2005
- Manchester Senior Cup: 12
- *1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
- Lancashire Senior Cup: 15
- *1898, 1913, 1914, 1920, 1929, 1938, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1951, 1969, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013
- SuperCupNI: 1
- *2017
Under-18s
The Manchester United youth team is statistically the most successful in English football, with nine players in the English football Hall of Fame. 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 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 10 December 2025''Honours
- U18 Premier League
- *National Final Winners: 2023–24
- *North Division Champions: 2017–18, 2023–24
- FA Youth Cup: 11
- *1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1992, 1995, 2003, 2011, 2022
- U18 Premier League Cup: 1
- *2023–24
- Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup: 18
- *1954, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 2004, 2005
- Champions Youth Cup: 1
- *2007
- SuperCupNI: 7
- *1991, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2022
- Lancashire League Division One: 12
- *1954–55, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
- Lancashire League Division Two: 5
- *1964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1988–89, 1996–97
- Lancashire League Division One Supplementary Cup: 4
- *1954–55, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1963–64
- Lancashire League Division Two Supplementary Cup: 10
- *1955–56, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1976–77
Staff
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| Director of Academy |  Notable youth team playersThe following is a list of players who have played in the Manchester United youth team and represented a country at full international level. Players who are currently playing at Manchester United, or for another club on loan from Manchester United, are highlighted in bold.
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".
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