Manchester United Under-23s assistant manager Neil Ryan believes the club must continue its strong working relationship with the club's first team to allow clear progression for its up and coming academy players.
United are for producing their own first team players from the academy, with current examples Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood now firmly embedded within the senior side.
Ryan, who last year over saw the progress of the sides U18 team, is now assistant to Neil Wood with the U23's and believes basic key aspects must still be kept to, for players to make it to the very top.
“First of all we start with the basics such as hard work and desire. Every player needs to have a strong work ethic and a dedication to the game,'' began Ryan as he spoke exclusively to WorldFootballIndex.
“Respect for your fellow players and coaches is of paramount importance also. We strive to produce high-quality human beings as well as high-quality footballers.
“Everything we do within the academy is structured to ensure that the players remain humble. It’s vital that the boys learn not to get too carried away with success and not to get too down when they’re going through a difficult period in their career as well.
“Success and failure of part of the journey as a footballer and for any human being in everyday life too.''
Ex-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enjoyed a close working relationship with the club's academy staff, a connection that Ryan believes new interim manager Ralf Rangnick must also buy into to continue United's proud tradition.
“First and foremost, it’s vital for the academy to have someone at the top who believes in youth and the development that is ongoing within the academy structure at the club," Ryan added.
"It’s also vital that we produce players who are capable of stepping up because he’s shown that he will give those younger players a chance when they are ready.
“Of course, the boys have to have the required technical and physical attributes too as they won’t be put into the first team as a favour to the academy. They have to be ready and that’s what we work on with them.
“Neil Wood and I work very closely with the first team coaches as a tight-knit group to ensure that we all have the same end goal which is to produce Manchester United players.
“We regularly connect and work together to ensure that our communication process is the best that it can be and the manager regular keeps in touch with Neil Wood and I to discuss our performances and the young players that we have coming through.”
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