Former Manchester United star Angel Gomes has told all on the realities of academy football and the ‘weight’ of the infamous United shirt.
Manchester United have always had a rich heritage of integrating their youth stars into their first team, which has seen the birth of many United stalwarts.
From the ‘Class of 92’, to the more modern examples such as Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, the Red Devils have always promoted their youth talents.
Unfortunately for United, some of these talents slip out of their hands. One example of this in recent years is midfielder Angel Gomes, who was once tipped for big things at United, but now is walking a different path.
Gomes was highly regarded in the United youth system, replacing Wayne Rooney as a substitute to become the youngest United player since 1953, at only 16 years and 263 days old.
Gomes tells all in honest interview
In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, the Englishman explained that, “from the moment you step into the place, the coaches are telling you about the history of the club.
“The Busby Babes, they show you pictures of George Best and Bobby Charlton. The culture is set early. You know everything about the club and what it represents. It’s just something that you carry.”
Gomes then spoke about the pressure building as he edged closer to the first team, and about the surreality of training with United legends.
“I was 16 and training with the likes of Rooney, [Michael] Carrick, [Juan] Mata, and Ander Herrera. I’d play FIFA with these players, and now you’re next to them, it’s surreal. It’s hard to flick the switch and understand you’re part of the team.
“I remember being in the academy and hearing about those sessions: if Michael Carrick fires a ball in at you, are you going to be able to control it?”
The ‘weight’ of the United shirt
United have struggled in recent times due to the name of United being too much for the players at the club, with poor results under Rúben Amorim attributed to this.
Gomes makes a great point about the weight of United’s shirt, explaining that he feels that “players may have been intimidated or not really know about the weight, what it carries and what it takes.
“But ultimately, sometimes, it’s down to environment, timing and having the right things in place to help you. Some players who have left and gone on to do better than when they were at United, there might be things in place at that certain club, at that moment in time, that helped them succeed.
“Sometimes it’s not as black and white as they failed or they’ve not held their own there because of the weight of the shirt.”
Since his United departure in 2020, Gomes has grown into the player many once thought he’d become, making over 100 senior appearances, including Champions League experience, and an England call-up.
The 24-year-old midfielder is on the move again this summer, having already agreed a deal to join Champions League outfit Marseille.
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