World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf has claimed more Manchester United academy graduates like Anthony Elanga are needed in the first team if the club are to return to their prime.
United have been renowned for their production of talented young players for well over half a century but the squad doesn't currently consist of as much home-grown talent as it once did. However, teenage starlet Elanga is a great example of why United's academy should still be at the forefront of their planning.
The Swede has three goals to his name this season including the crucial equaliser against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Leboeuf thinks that promoting quality youngsters into the first-team squad is crucial for the club to return to their 'prime.'
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He told BritishGambler.co.uk (via the Mirror): "The Busby Babes were all kids from the club. The famous Treble winning team from the 90s were all at the academy, and when it didn’t work at the club, Ferguson put the Nevilles, Beckham, Scholes and Butt in the team - all fantastic players who became very famous and won everything.
"But now it’s about who you play, what kind of names they buy and spend crazy money on, whereas the essence of the club is actually from within, from the academy.
"Elanga may not be from England, but has come through the academy and has shown his talent – that’s what United have to look for, and what they need to find to get Manchester United back to its prime.
"Arsenal have that now, and that’s why I think they’ll finish fourth ahead of Manchester United. The future is in the academy. It has always been like that.
"Even if they have big stars, they have to be surrounded by the people who grew up at the club. Ronaldo was at the club before, but he was with players that grew up at the club like Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, the Nevilles – people who understood the meaning of growing up at Manchester United.
"But now, I don’t think there are other players at the club who have that."
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