Two Manchester United youngsters have now followed Mainoo into first team, ‘not academy players anymore’

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Manchester United have promoted two young players into first team training on a regular basis, says Travis Binnion.

Binnion is United’s lead academy coach and is preparing the young players for next week’s opening FA Youth Cup tie of the season.

Two of the FA Youth Cup winners in 2022 have progressed to the first team squad, and while Binnion says it is going to be really difficult to find two players to follow Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, there are two who are now working with Erik ten Hag on a regular basis.

Binnion told The United Stand that there are two more prospects who are no longer considered academy players.

Dan Gore and Radek Vitek make step up

Binnion explained that midfielder Dan Gore and goalkeeper Radek Vitek are no longer considered part of the academy set up, due to their progress with the first team

He said: “The likes of Dan Gore and Radek Vitek, they aren’t academy players anymore. They’ve been with the first team, for six months, 12 months, they might play some games for the under-21s because they need to play games, but they are not with us.”

Binnion added: “Dan Gore is aspiring to be a Kobbie, a genuine first team member who is in every squad now.”

Gore impressed in pre-season with Manchester United and made his first team debut in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.

He started alongside Mainoo in midfield in the Youth Cup winning squad and there are high hopes for the 19-year-old.

Radek Vitek was in goal when United won the trophy. He faces a tough time to break into the first team due to competition at the goalkeeper position, but United obviously regard him highly.

The 20-year-old Czech may benefit from a loan move in January to gain first team experience, as could Gore.

Strong relations with Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff

Binnion says there are additional young players mixing in with the first team every day, and his job of player development is made more straightforward because Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff take a genuine interest.

He said: “Every day there are players with them, in terms of contact with Erik we can talk to the manager whenever we want, he’s busy and he’s got a lot on, daily conversations happen with Darren Fletcher, Mitchell [van der Gaag], and Eric Ramsay and the goalkeeping staff.

“There’s a healthy conversation, players are spoken about regularly, our job and my job is to ensure the players get the best opportunity. The first team staff care about the young players and want to do the right thing by them, so it makes my job easy.”