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Jose Mourinho Wants Man Utd to Blood One New Youngster Every Season to Preserve Remarkable Record

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes the club should to bring through at least one home-grown player from the academy each season in order to maintain their identity as a champion of youth and continue a remarkable 80-year record.

United have selected at least one home-grown player in every single matchday squad since 30th October 1937 and Mourinho, who has long held a negative reputation for ignoring young players, insists he doesn't want to be responsible for ending it.

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"I don't want to be the one that breaks that and I think the next United manager - it doesn't matter when he comes - should also try not to break it," the Portuguese told the Daily Mirror.

"It is more difficult now than it was before, but I think it is good. I feel it like a way to keep a certain identity of the club. To keep that identity means, basically, we should bring a new player from the academy every season," he added.

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"You can bring someone to play 10 minutes, then the player disappears and then you can say, 'Oh, 40 players have their debut with me'. But none of them are important. When I say 'bring', I mean (for them) to stay."

Mourinho added both Axel Tuanzebe and Scott McTominay to United's first-team squad towards the end of last season, with the latter continuing to impress when he has been given opportunities to get on the pitch so far in 2017/18. The United boss even handed a professional debut to academy prodigy Angel Gomes in May, then still only 16 years of age.

Meanwhile, two more slightly older home-grown players in Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard have remained an important part of the United squad under Mourinho's leadership.

"I think what is happening with (Jesse) Lingard and Rashford is now happening with Scott McTominay...because he is not going to leave the club anymore," the manager explained.

"To follow a certain pathway is important. I am doing it with McTominay. Mr Van Gaal had the start of Rashford, I am having it with Scott McTominay and, next year, there should be another."