Moyes Makes Youth Promise

David Moyes has promised to uphold Manchester United's traditions of bringing young players into the first team.

The Everton manager is replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at the Old Trafford helm on 1 July and will be paying close attention to the Academy and the younger players below the senior squad.

It is clear that the Scot is aware of the need to develop English talent and this is an area where United currently excel. The likes of Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling are already established internationals but there are plenty more with potential further down the production line.

Wilfried Zaha is joining the club in the summer from Crystal Palace while Nick Powell was personally scouted by Moyes, according to reports at the time, during his stay at Crewe Alexandra. Warren Joyce's Under-21 side, in action against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, also includes a number of bright Englishmen with Tom Thorpe, Larnell Cole, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Jesse Lingard all mainstays of the successful team.

Everton's youngsters were unlucky to lose out to a late goal at Tottenham in the other semi-final of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League this week and the Merseysiders edged United out of a last-four spot in the Under-18 competition by virtue of a superior goal difference.

"Manchester United have always relied hugely on young players and my priority will always be to promote these talents," Moyes is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail during his address to the Cambridge Union on Monday night.

"It is the right way to go. We need to be producing better English players and we are working to find the solutions. My aim would be to develop these young English players and get more and more coming through.

"[However] There are issues to resolve. How do we get them more games at a competitive level? I like the Spanish model where there is a B team playing in the lower divisions. Could we implement the same here? That would be a starting point.

"Three years ago, I wanted to get the young Everton team into the Conference, as it would be a good place to compete. The FA told us we would have to start from the bottom - in division 27 or something!"