Ruben Amorim frequently praises Manchester United’s academy for its potential to shape the club’s future. His comments often highlight the importance of nurturing young talent.

In the match against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break, Amorim included 18-year-old Jack Fletcher in the squad. He emphasized the academy’s significance by stating that it represents the future of the club. However, despite making five substitutions during the game, Fletcher remained on the bench.

Earlier in March, during an FA Cup match against Fulham, Amorim called upon Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi, once again underscoring the academy’s role and the club’s commitment to its traditions.

“The future lies with these young players, who can embody the club’s spirit and sometimes make a difference for us without needing to purchase new players,” Amorim remarked.

Yet, some Manchester United supporters are growing weary of these statements, which they view as lacking substance.

Jack Fletcher (left) and Shea Lacey (right) are closing in on their Man United first team debuts

Despite Kobbie Mainoo being one of the academy’s most promising midfield talents in recent years, Amorim seems hesitant to rely on him. Similarly, Chido Obi, after eight appearances in the 2024-25 season, has not made an impact and Marcus Rashford was sent on loan to Barcelona, raising questions about the actual integration of academy graduates into the first team.

Harry Amass, who broke in last season, was sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, while the one other youngster Amorim handed a debut to, Tyler Fredricson, has had 45 minutes of first-team football all season.

But Amorim is acutely aware that soon he will need the kids, more than at any point in his tenure so far, with Benjamin Sesko out for a month and Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations in the coming weeks.

Any injuries on top of that – Matheus Cunha picked up a minor knock in training on Saturday, while Mainoo has been battling an issue that kept him out at Tottenham – only further exacerbate that need.

Amorim is adamant the time is now to ‘send a message’ to the best talents Carrington is producing that they are ready to make an impact. Now he must prove his words hold weight and are not the empty platitudes they have proven to be thus far.

‘I’m more confident with them,’ Amorim said of the academy kids, in response to Daily Mail Sport.

‘When we put these kids to play in Premier League they will struggle, but will struggle less I think.

‘So I think everyone in the academy is doing a very good job at the moment.’

Amorim’s reluctance to use academy products like Kobbie Mainoo has raised some eyebrows 

As reported previously in our Man United Confidential column, Fletcher has become a regular in the first team training group in recent weeks, as has 18-year-old Shea Lacey.

Both are now knocking on the door to plug gaps that are appearing through injuries and international commitments. Neither have yet made a first-team debut for United.

‘I’m really happy with Shea,’ Amorim said.

‘I think he struggled a little bit with injuries. Staff did a very good job balancing his body and you can sense that he can manage more load during training.

‘He has a lot of talent but when they come here, they can sense the speed is completely different, so they need to spend more time with us to be prepared because our trainings are hard.

‘I think guys like Jack Fletcher, Shea, a lot of guys, they can step up and we can send at the same time a message to everyone here in the academy that this is the future.’

Fletcher (right) has become a mainstay of the first team training group in the past few weeks

Much of Amorim’s praise this week around the academy went to Under-21s lead Travis Binnion, along with Under-18s boss Darren Fletcher and their respective coaching teams for the work they are putting in to prepare players.

More and more are training with the first team – Fletcher, Lacey, Jim Thwaites and others such as Bendito Mantato, Gabriele Biancheri and Jacob Devaney have had multiple sessions – and the feeling now at Carrington is that those who break through now are much more ready than those who were thrust in before.

But what Amorim won’t do is compromise on the little things and how youngsters carry themselves off the training pitch is being as scrutinised as what they do on it.

‘I’m not preparing the academy, [Travis and Darren] are preparing the academy,’ Amorim continued.

‘We are paying more attention, we are talking with them. It is so important for us to exchange information about the players, what they need, how they behave, even to call a kid for the first team they need to behave really well.

‘If you don’t behave really well… this connection is really important and we are trying to do that.

‘We are putting everything in place, nutritionist for the academy starts now, in our club. That is something that is, it should be basic, so all these things we are doing, and they are doing their job.’

Chido Obi broke into the first team last season but has spent all of this season with Under-21s 

Obi is now the only orthodox No 9 at first-team or Under-21 level but his chance of returning to the XI appears more remote than those of Fletcher and Lacey.

‘He played last year and I think it was too soon,’ Amorim explained.

‘We didn’t have a team that we can put a young kid at 16, that he will not struggle, or will struggle a little bit.

‘I think he started too soon and sometimes it’s hard to deal with that, with the kids, because they think that I’m already here. No, you are here for necessity, and we need to be careful also with that, with the kids.’

Amorim said previously he doesn’t want to be the boss who brings an end to the United’s proud academy streak of having had a homegrown player in every matchday squad since 1937.

But find a way to maximise the wealth of Carrington talent at his disposal in the first team and his popularity will soar to even greater heights.