3 Manchester United Youngsters Who Must See Playing Time in 2016/17 Season

Other than his FA Cup win, the defining positive of Louis van Gaal’s reign as Manchester United manager was his willingness to give playing time to promising youngsters who had come through the club’s academy system.

The approach to this will no doubt change with the advent of the Jose Mourinho era, but here are three youngsters who should get playing time regardless of their new manager’s reputation.

Marcus Rashford’s need for playing time is taken as read, so obvious is his talent.

Also excluded here are RoShaun Williams and James Weir, players who excelled at youth level last season. Mourinho will have his hands full giving game time to youngsters who impressed in the first team, so the younger lads might have to wait another season for regular involvement outside of the League Cup.

Let’s take a look at three players Mourinho needs to consider when making his plans for the task ahead.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson symbolises Van Gaal’s willingness to throw perhaps unlikely youngsters in the first team to cover for injury but also his somewhat surprising hesitance to keep them in the lineup when senior players returned.

After all, when Marcos Rojo was fit again, Borthwick-Jackson was quickly replaced. It seemed an odd decision at the time for all the reasons why Mourinho should ensure there is a place in his squad for the 19-year-old.

#MUFC Would definitely have had Borthwick-Jackson in my XI. Think Rojo is too suspect.

— Stuart Mathieson (@StuMathiesonMEN) May 21, 2016

Luke Shaw will likely be the de facto first-choice left-back, as he should be, but Borthwick-Jackson’s coolness under pressure and his superb delivery from crosses make him an ideal back-up option.

From his debut in November onward, Borthwick-Jackson was a steady presence in the side, providing an outlet on the overlap of …

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