Throughout Manchester United's history, success and glory have been built on the foundations of developing the youth.
Showing trust and belief that talent speaks louder than previous experience, if the individual is good enough, then they should play.
From the day of Paul Scholes to Marcus Rashford and even more recently Alejandro Garnacho, allowing the youngsters to shine is part of the Red Devils' DNA.
Although this season has been frustrating and far from brilliant, one aspect that Erik ten Hag should take huge credit for is his influence on the development of superstars, and one of those is most definitely Kobbie Mainoo.
Kobbie Mainoo’s rise to first-team success
After impressing in the youth setup, first-team training, and even scoring against Cadiz in a mid-season friendly, Mainoo made his first competitive start for Man United in January 2023 against Charlton in the EFL Cup.
For the rest of Ten Hag’s first campaign in charge, the academy graduate appeared in the matchday squad on numerous occasions, even making his Premier League debut against Leicester City in February.
Fast forward to the end of the season, and the youngster was on the plane for United’s pre-season tour, where Mainoo particularly impressed against Arsenal, assisting Bruno Fernandes’ opener in the 2-0 win.
However, disaster struck as the midfielder suffered an unfortunate injury against Real Madrid, which instantly forced him off the field.
At that point, all the progress made was halted, and it took 87 days for the number 37 to make his return, which he did in sensational fashion.
Man Utd eyeing one of "the biggest CBs in the world" to boost Mainoo
The promising defender is yet to make a competitive start for his current team.