Erik ten Hag said he feels a responsibility to keep Manchester United's indelible link with the academy going strong having tried to strengthen the pathway during his time in charge at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag handed a debut to Ethan Wheatley on Wednesday night and in the process the 18-year-old forward became the 250th academy graduate to represent the United first team. Six of those have been handed debuts under Ten Hag and four have come this season, in Dan Gore, Willy Kambwala, Omari Forson and now Wheatley, who replaced Rasmus Hojlund in the closing stages of the 4-2 win against Sheffield United.
It capped a memorable few days for Wheatley, who was on the bench for the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, scored twice in the Under-18s Premier League Cup final win against Manchester City on Tuesday night and then made first-team history 24 hours later.
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Ten Hag insisted it was a milestone for everyone at the club to be proud of and said it showed opportunities were always there for players who have the right mixture of "talent and winning attitude."
“Everyone at Manchester United should be very proud of our record of producing so many players with the quality and character to represent this incredible club," added Ten Hag.
"All of us at Carrington feel the responsibility to build on the legacy of the Busby Babes, the Class of 92 and the many others who have contributed to the club’s fantastic history.
"Strengthening the pathway between the academy and first team has been one of my priorities as manager, and Ethan is the latest example of this process working well. The opportunity will always be open to those with the right talent and winning attitude to pull on the red shirt."
There were three further academy graduates on the bench who are yet to make their professional debuts, in defenders Habeeb Ogunneye, Harry Amass and Louis Jackson.
Ten Hag has turned to youth this season during an unprecedented injury crisis but his squad is dotted with academy graduates and they have contributed to 26% of all first-team minutes this season, scoring or assisting 60% of the club's goals.
“All of us in the academy are incredibly proud of this club’s illustrious history of youth development, and we congratulate Ethan on what is a fantastic personal achievement as well as a landmark for the club," said academy director Nick Cox.
"Youth development is an important part of the lifeblood of Manchester United, running through all the great moments in the club’s history, and it is the responsibility of every new generation of academy players and staff to keep it going.
"We owe thanks to the many talented coaches and visionary club leaders who contributed to this landmark, including James W. Gibson, Walter Crickmer, Jimmy Murphy, Sir Matt Busby, and Sir Alex Ferguson. And there are countless others behind the scenes, from scouts to kit staff, ground staff to chefs, drivers to teachers who play a vital role in supporting our young players to maximise their potential.”
