What is bio-banding and how do Manchester United use it?

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Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal has revealed how bio-banding helped his development during his early days with the Red Devils.

The 19-year-old has been knocking on the first team door under Erik ten Hag, and the Iraq international impressed during Tour 22.

Iqbal, who made his only senior Manchester United appearance to date in the Champions League dead rubber against Young Boys under Ralf Rangnick last December, also impressed during United’s two mid-World Cup friendlies against La Liga sides Cadiz and Real Betis.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the talented ball-playing midfielder drops down to Travis Binnion’s Under-21s for tonight’s EFL Trophy last-16 clash against League One side Bolton Wanderers.

Iqbal started both of United’s first two matches in the competition, but he’s yet to feature in the last two.

What is bio-banding and how do Manchester United use it?

Bio-handing is a process where players are grouped based on their biological age, not their chronological age or size.

This process had an impact on Iqbal’s rise through the ranks during his younger days with the Red Devils.

Due to United’s number 55 being one of the smaller and skinnier players, United put him in the year group below his own.

And while Iqbal feared the worst at the time, the midfield maestro has since realised that the twenty-time league champions were helping and aiding his development.

While telling his story via the club’s website, Iqbal explains how bio-banding benefitted him.

Iqbal said: “I mean when I was younger, I used to play down an age-group so that’s helped me a lot mentally. I was always one of the smaller guys. I was dead skinny, back then I was even skinnier growing up! It was hard for me.

“Other players were pushing me off the ball so I had to use skills and think about stuff. But also United helped me by playing me a year down and it’s helped me to not look back since.

“I remember my dad telling me this and I was really upset in the car, I was like: ‘is this their way of telling me I am going to be released?’

“Looking back now, not just me but, us as a family, dealt with it really well. Now I’m not looking back, just bettering myself and will hopefully break through.”

Iqbal revealed that he took inspiration from former Manchester United duo Paul Scholes and Angel Gomes who also played in an age-group below.

Scholes went on to become one of the greatest midfielders of all time and Gomes is playing regularly for Ligue 1 giants Lille.

Iqbal continued: “The coaches mentioned Angel Gomes to me. Look at him now, playing for Lille in the Champions League.

“They mentioned Paul Scholes but they’re obviously the players who played down and have gone on to do well.

“Obviously, other players have played down and their careers have not gone as successfully as they wanted it to. But I knew I could make the situation really good by looking up to players like Scholes and Angel, if they played down.

“I look at it as a positive, they’re doing it to better you, so that’s what I did and it helped me a lot.”