Torres?

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I should warn you that you are about to start an argument with the United version of KingPepeReina.

Although since the Premier League started I think you have brough a grand total of two players through the ranks from the academy level to play more than 100 games for the first team. Doesn't compare all that well to our eight. Although it's still more than Arsenal's one over the same period...

Bonus points to anyone who can name all eleven players I'm referring to. The qualifying criteria is that they must have been associated with the club before turning 16.

Not starting an arguement, just asking him to clarify the 8-9 players that are home grown and the couple that are bought in Utds first 11...
 
Your squad for the last match
Man Utd
01 Van der Sar
03 Evra
06 Brown (Fabio Da Silva 46)
12 Smalling
23 Evans red card
11 Giggs
16 Carrick
17 Nani
25 Valencia
10 Rooney
14 Hernandez (Berbatov 46)
Substitutes
29 Kuszczak, 20 Fabio Da Silva, 45 Oliver Gill, 13 Park Ji-Sung, 28 Gibson, 07 Owen, 09 Berbatov

I make that 7 homegrown including the bench and 11 you have bought? Don't know the squad that well I may be wrong. 3 homegrown started.

Seven? The homegrown ones are Brown, Evans, Giggs, and Gill. I wouldn't call Gibson or Fabio home grown - Gibson joined us as a 16 year old so we didn't really bring him through the academy.
 
Not starting an arguement, just asking him to clarify the 8-9 players that are home grown and the couple that are bought in Utds first 11...

That's like asking KingPepeReina to explain how NESV are worth £100 billion...

Although to be fair United are currently the PL team with the most academy players in their current first team squad. I had a very satisfying argument with a Leeds fan about this, which left him running off with his tail between his legs.
 
Seven? The homegrown ones are Brown, Evans, Giggs, and Gill. I wouldn't call Gibson or Fabio home grown - Gibson joined us as a 16 year old so we didn't really bring him through the academy.

Was being reasonable with the Brazilian as he's been there for a long time, just didn't know about Gibson.
 
Was being reasonable with the Brazilian as he's been there for a long time, just didn't know about Gibson.

True - I'd put Fabio and Gibson in the same bracket as Fabregas - not true homegrown players, but ones who were spotted at other academies / youth set ups and brought in to the club then trained up. We were actually interested in Fabio and Rafael at age 15, but couldn't transfer them as Brazilian law prevents them moving outside Brazil until they turn 18, unless their parents move with them.

That's one of the reasons we paid so much for Anderson - we could have got him from Gremio for 7 million Euros when he was 17, but his Mum moved to Portugal with him so he signed for Porto. I reckon they may have signed him knowing we'd come in for him in the next year or so and they could make a big mark up just by getting him inside the EU.

Although who did you reckon was our 7th homegrown player in the squad?
 
Smalling
Evans
Giggs
Fabio Da Silva
Oliver Gill
Gibson
Brown

Research is not my strong point! Did you buy Smalling?

Yes, Smalling was bought in Jan last year from Fulham. Although he was pretty unheard of before SAF unearthed him - he'd only played 14 games for Maidstone and 19 for Fulham. And now he's played seven Champions League games! So a pretty meteoric rise...
 
Does Giggs count as he was associated with the true Manchester, City team at 14?

I would count Giggs as a United product, as he never signed a contract with City. But I wouldn't count him in our eight, as he broke through in 1991 before the PL started. Same deal with John Terry - I'd count him as a Chelsea product even though he was in the West Ham side until aged 14.
 
That's like asking KingPepeReina to explain how NESV are worth £100 billion...

Although to be fair United are currently the PL team with the most academy players in their current first team squad. I had a very satisfying argument with a Leeds fan about this, which left him running off with his tail between his legs.

Well he hasn't responded yet, and as I said I'm just looking for clarification...I personally don't give a ****e who has the most of what, where and when, but I do like statements that bold to be backed up.
 
Does David Beckham count as he was a Tottenham boy at 14?

Yep. Beckham, like Giggs, signed schoolboy forms with United on his 14th birthday. Beckham had already trained with Man United and been a mascot for them before he turned 14 as well. He only trained with Spurs cos they were the closest club to where he lived, and he couldn't formally join any club until he turned 14.