Anthony Elanga began last season playing for Manchester United's Under-21s and he was promoted to the first-team by November. The academy's main focus is to supply young talent to the first-team and the number of promotions is the gauge of success.
Elanga moved to Manchester from Sweden at the age of 12 and academy coaches played a pivotal role in his journey to making his debut last year. It's rewarding for club staff to invest time in young players and to see them make their debut and, although Elanga is still only 20 years old, the forward is an established first-team squad member, which means he's regarded as an 'academy success'.
The word 'success' has a clear definition in the senior game but it's not that simple in the academy. There is an emphasis placed on individual development, not results, and that's why club figures are not concerned about the U21s' form this season.
