Football's increasingly global nature means Manchester United will approach the FA Youth Cup final with Sheffield United pledging to continue their worldwide search for talent.
The likelihood is Paul McGuinness' side for tomorrow's first-leg duel at Bramall Lane will include representatives from Italy, Holland and France.
Spanish World Cup winner Gerard Pique appeared in the competition for United in recent years, as did Giuseppe Rossi and Federico Macheda.
And, given the glory Lionel Messi has helped Barcelona enjoy since arriving in Catalonia as a 13-year-old, it is clear operating purely within the boundaries of Greater Manchester is not an option.
"It is a global game now," said United academy director Brian McClair, the former Scotland striker.
"You only have to look at the number of people in the first team and where they come from. When I first came down to England, if someone had told me what was going to happen, I would have said 'No chance'."
No comments:
Post a Comment