Five youngest players to play for Manchester United

Manchester United, a club founded in 1878, has gone through several rebrandings, over the years in terms of colours, names, and logos. However, one thing that has stayed consistent over half a century, is the club giving chances to the youngsters. Ever since the Munich disaster, the club has continued to provide ample chances for youngsters, and the best period of the club has come with them. 

In this article, we look at the five youngest players to play for Manchester United. Some of these players have gone on to become superstars with decisive performances in the Red Devils’ outfit, and some have failed to shine under the pressure of donning the jersey of one of the top clubs in the world. 

1. David Gaskell - 16 years and 19 days

Making his debut when he was 16 years and 19 days old as a showstopper for Manchester United, David Gaskell remains the youngest player ever to don the jersey. He made his first appearance under Sir Matt Busby against Manchester City in a FA Charity Shield fixture. The goalkeeper went on to keep a clean sheet for the side in a competitive fixture. The player came on at halftime for Ray Wood in front of 30,000+ fans. 

He went on to make 115 appearances for Manchester United and conceded 208 goals during his tenure. During his 115 appearances, he had 18 clean sheets and played over 10,000 minutes for the side. He remained with the side until 1967 and helped the side win multiple accolades, including two championships (1965 and 1967). He was recently awarded retrospective honours, following the change in criteria in the EFL Cup. 

2. Jeff Whitefoot - 16 years, 3 months and 15 days

Jeff Whitefoot made his debut against Portsmouth in 1950 in the First Division (current-day English Premier League) at Old Trafford in a two-man midfield combination. He was the last member of the Busby Babes team of the mid-1950s. The talented player featured as a wing-half, which currently does exist but is closer to the attacking midfielder or a False 9. 

At Old Trafford, the talented midfielder played over 93 games, spanning over 8300 minutes. The disciplined midfielder never accumulated a yellow card, let alone a red, during his tenure at Manchester United. He moved to Nottingham Forest and Grimsby Town, later in his career.

3) Duncan Edwards - 16 years, 6 months and 4 days 

Duncan Edwards was one of the greatest youngsters ever to wear the Manchester United jersey. A powerful midfielder with great technical ability and full of passion and vision, Duncan Edwards made his debut against Cardiff City, where the team lost 1-4 at Old Trafford. Over the years, Duncan Edwards made over 170 appearances for Manchester United and had 27 G/A to his name until he met the disaster. 

4) Angel Gomes - 16 years, 8 months and 20 days 

Making his debut for Manchester United in the summer of 2017, Angel Gomes was believed to achieve massive success at Old Trafford. Though he could not emulate the success of the godfather figure he had in Nani, Angel Gomes was a pure tactical genius on the pitch. 

The player of Anglo-Portuguese heritage, Angel Gomes, made his debut against Crystal Palace in front of 75,000 fans. The player came on in the 88th minute under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho. After his debut, he featured in over five Premier League and ten overall appearances for Manchester United before departing the club on a free transfer. 

5) Willie Anderson - 16 years, 11 months and 4 days 

A paradoxical story where a Liverpool fan went on to feature for Manchester United, Willie Anderson made his professional debut for Manchester United in 1963. Against the Clarets, Willie Anderson debuted on the left flank when he was 16. 

While he did not stay long at Old Trafford for the longest time, he featured in over 13 games for the side with a goal to his name.