Manchester – Manchester United made club history on Sunday by fielding their youngest lineup ever in a Premier League match against Brentford. Manager Ruben Amorim made eight changes from the side that secured a three-nil win against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.
Historic Youth Movement Takes the Field
The average age of the starting eleven was just twenty-two years and two hundred seventy days, a new record low for Manchester United in the Premier League era. According to Opta Analyst, this is also the third-youngest starting team named by any club in Premier League history.
Teenagers Lead the Charge
The lineup featured notable young talents gaining valuable experience:
- Chido Obi: The seventeen-year-old striker made his first senior start. At seventeen years and one hundred fifty-six days, Obi became Manchester United’s youngest-ever starter in a Premier League game, breaking the previous record. Obi, a Denmark youth international, joined United from Arsenal’s academy earlier this season.
- Harry Amass: The eighteen-year-old defender started at wing-back.
Additionally, twenty-year-old defender Tyler Fredricson started, alongside four other twenty-year-olds in the team. This bold selection highlights the Man Utd youngest lineup and Amorim’s commitment to integrating academy prospects.
Europa League Focus Dictates Selection
Manager Ruben Amorim had indicated he would rotate his squad and take risks with the lineup, prioritizing player fitness ahead of the crucial Europa League semi-final second leg at Old Trafford. Resting key players was deemed necessary to avoid injuries.
“We have always a responsibility to perform… But in this moment we have to be clear: our focus is more on saving players and trying to be competitive,” Amorim stated before the match. “We need to understand the context.”
Full Manchester United XI vs Brentford (with Ages):
- Goalkeeper: Altay Bayindir 27
- Defenders: Tyler Fredricson 20, Matthijs de Ligt 25, Luke Shaw 29 – Captain
- Midfielders: Partick Dorgu 20, Manuel Ugarte 24, Kobbie Mainoo 20, Harry Amass eighteen
- Attackers: Alejandro Garnacho 20, Mason Mount 26, Chido Obi 17
England international Luke Shaw, aged twenty-nine, provided the most experience in the Man Utd youngest lineup, with goalkeeper Altay Bayindir aged twenty-seven and midfielder Mason Mount aged twenty-six as the other older players.
By Abdullah Korede
