Highlights

  • Darren Fletcher overcame a broken leg to play 342 times for Manchester United, winning five Premier League trophies and battling ulcerative colitis.
  • Michael Stewart failed to live up to Ferguson's predictions, making just eight appearances for United before a career that included spells in Turkey and Charlton Athletic.
  • Luke Chadwick initially broke into United's first team but failed to kick on, playing for various clubs before settling at MK Dons and then becoming a coach at Cambridge United.

Manchester United have had so many talented youngsters come through their academy in the Premier League era. Many young footballers looking to make a name for themselves were handed their first-team debuts by Sir Alex Ferguson and went on to have successful careers.

David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were just three members of United's famous 'Class of '92', a group of youngsters which graduated through the academy and all cemented themselves in United's history. In 2001, Ferguson thought another group of youngsters were set to break through and establish themselves in the first-team.

He named seven players that he thought had the capabilities to step up to top level football. The legendary Scotsman said, per the Sun: "Darren Fletcher, who we hope will get over his broken leg, is good. Michael Stewart and Luke Chadwick are doing very well, and John O'Shea's doing well too. There's a young left-back called Paul Tierney who's doing well, as is Danny Pugh. But there's a young boy who has started now, he's 16, called Kieran Richardson. He's going to be a fantastic player."

So, what happened to the seven youngsters backed by Fergie? Find out below...

Darren Fletcher

Ferguson was hoping that Fletcher would overcome a broken leg and he managed to do so. Fletcher was just 17 years old at the time and, two years later, he made his debut for United. He went on to play 342 times for the club, scoring 24 times, and helped the Red Devils to five Premier League trophies. Unfortunately, he was hindered in the back end of his United career due to a prolonged battle with ulcerative colitis. Fletcher overcame the illness and departed United in 2015. He turned out for West Brom and Stoke City before hanging up his boots in 2019. After retiring, Fletcher started his managerial career and returned to United to coach their Under 16s and in January 2021, he was promoted to first-team coach. In March 2021, he became the technical director at Old Trafford - a role in which he remains.

Michael Stewart

Stewart made eight appearances in the league for United before departing for Hibernian in 2005. His best spell of his career came at Hearts, where he played 87 times in the league and hit the back of the net on 12 occasions. Stewart had a brief spell in Turkey with Gençlerbirliği before ending his career in 2011 after a short stint with Charlton Athletic. The Scotsman also made four appearances for his country but didn't live up to Fergie's predictions.

Luke Chadwick

Luke Chadwick - Man United

Chadwick broke into United's first team during the 2000/01 season, playing 22 times as United won the Premier League title. But he failed to kick on and, after only a handful appearances in the next few years, he departed the club in 2004. He went on to play for numerous clubs in England's second tier, including West Ham, Stoke City and Norwich City, before dropping down to League One with MK Dons in 2008. Chadwick spent six successful seasons at the club, playing 246 times and scoring 24 goals, while also winning their Player of the Year award twice. He joined boyhood club Cambridge United in 2013 but left two years later. After leaving Cambridge, Chadwick signed for Isthmian League Division One North side Soham Town Rangers in November 2015 and spent one season there before returning to Cambridge as a full-time coach in the club's academy.

John O'Shea

John O'Shea

O'Shea earned himself a reputation as a reliable defender during his successful stint at the club. He played 393 times for the club and helped them to 14 major titles before departing for Sunderland in 2011. O'Shea spent six seasons at The Black Cats before ending his career in 2019 after a brief spell with Reading. He represented the Republic of Ireland on 118 occasions, making him the third most capped player in their history. He joined Reading coaching staff following his retirement from playing but left the club in July 2021. In April 2020, he was named as assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland U21 team before joining Stoke as first-team coach in 2022. He returned to Ireland duty when he became assistant manager under manager Stephen Kenny. But he left that role when Wayne Rooney was appointed manager Birmingham City, joining as a first-team coach.

Paul Tierney

Tierney did not hit the heights expected of him by Ferguson. He made just one first team appearance for United before departing in 2005. He did win the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year at the club - awarded to the best academy player of the year and has been won by the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford in the past. But Tierney never really managed to establish himself at a club as he enjoyed brief spells at Livingston and Blackpool. He signed for Conference outfit Altrincham in 2008 at the age of 26. But he lasted just a month at the club. Altrincham proved to be the last club he played for in his professional career.

Danny Pugh

Pugh may have never established himself as a regular at United - he made just seven appearances for the first team - but he did go on to have a decent career. He went on to turn out for the likes of Leeds United and Preston North End, before making 37 Premier League appearances with Stoke City. Pugh ended his professional career after a spell with Port Vale in 2020 and turned his head to coaching. He has been caretaker manager of the club on two separate occasions, with a combined record of two wins in seven games. After leaving as caretaker manager, Pugh went to play for Hanley Town in Midland League Premier Division.

Kieran Richardson

Ferguson had high hopes for Richardson and, while he had a decent Premier League career, he never established himself as a regular at United. He made his debut for the Red Devils in 2002 and played 81 times for the club, scoring 11 times, before joining Sunderland in a £5.5m move in 2007. He played 149 times for Sunderland and also featured in the Premier League for Fulham and Aston Villa and in the Championship with Cardiff City. Richardson made eight appearances for England, scoring twice. Not quite the 'fantastic player' that Fergie predicted.