10 nominees for United’s academy player of the season , Manchester 2026

Key Points

• Manchester United’s academy has announced 10 nominees for its 2025/26 Academy Player of the Season award.
• The public are invited to vote online to decide the winner.
• The nominees are drawn from the club’s under‑18 and under‑21 squads that have competed in Premier League 2, the EFL Trophy, and domestic youth competitions.
• The campaign is being run by Manchester‑based outlet Manchester Mirror in partnership with the official academy channels.
• The list features a mix of forwards, midfielders and defenders, including several players who have already featured in first‑team matchday squads.

Manchester(Manchester Mirror) May 07, 2026 – Manchester United’s academy has opened public voting for its 2025/26 Academy Player of the Season, unveiling a shortlist of 10 nominees from the club’s under‑18 and under‑21 squads. As reported by Manchester Mirror, the poll is being run via the club’s official website and social channels, with supporters asked to select one winner from the 10 candidates.

The 10‑player shortlist recognises those judged to have produced the most consistent performances and standout moments across the 2025/26 season, spanning Premier League 2, the EFL Trophy and various youth‑cup competitions. According to the Manchester Mirror coverage, the campaign is framed as a way to highlight the role of the academy in Manchester United’s long‑term planning, at a time when first‑team recruitment has been under scrutiny.

Who are the 10 nominees and why are they in contention?

Each of the 10 nominees is linked with a specific set of attributes that staff and media have highlighted over the course of the season. For example, Manchester Mirror notes that at least three of the nominees are attackers who have carried primary goalscoring responsibility for the under‑21s side, combining finish with off‑the‑ball movement and pressing under the club’s current academy structure.

Among the forwards named is a player described by Manchester Mirror as “the most improved second‑striker in the pipeline”, with his ability to drop deep, link midfield and finish under pressure repeatedly cited as a reason for inclusion. Another attacking nominee is highlighted for his record in youth‑cup football, where he has been deployed as a late‑game impact substitute and has scored several decisive goals in knockout matches.

The midfield contingent on the list includes a box‑to‑box presence who has been praised by academy coaches for his discipline in the No. 6 role, as well as a more advanced playmaker who has led the club’s reserve side in assists and through‑ball success rate. Manchester Mirror quotes one unnamed academy staff member suggesting this midfielder has “shown the maturity of someone two years older” in terms of positional sense and aerial strength.

On the defensive side, the shortlist features at least two centre‑backs and one full‑back, each with a profile that reflects different strengths. One centre‑back is singled out for commanding the back line in the under‑21s’ clean‑sheet run over the second half of the season, while the second central defender is noted for his leadership, having worn the armband in several key fixtures. The full‑back on the list is described as a “transition‑oriented defender” whose overlapping runs and ability to defend in tight spaces have been underlined by the club’s internal performance‑data metrics.

How the voting process works and what supporters are being asked to consider

Fans are being invited to cast a single vote via the academy’s official voting page, which is linked from the Manchester Mirror article and the club’s social media channels. The outlet explains that the poll is open to registered supporters and uses a simple ranking‑style format where users select one nominee from the list and submit.

The Manchester Mirror piece warns supporters that the vote is purely fan‑driven and does not influence official club‑internal awards, which are decided separately by coaching staff and performance analysts. However, it notes that the public vote will be used to inform a feature on the club’s website that profiles the winner, as well as a short behind‑the‑scenes video highlighting their season.

Voters are encouraged to take into account not only end‑product statistics like goals and assists, but also consistency, leadership and attitude. The article cites feedback from former academy graduates who have been consulted for the campaign, one of whom is quoted as saying that “the best academy seasons are the ones where you see the same performance level, week in, week out, against good‑quality opposition.”

What this award signals about the academy’s role in the first‑team picture

The launch of the 2025/26 Academy Player of the Season poll also serves as a broader statement about the club’s continued emphasis on youth development. As reported by Manchester Mirror, senior figures at Carrington have in recent years been tasked with tightening the connection between the academy and the first‑team setup, with several of the 10 nominees already having sat on the bench for competitive matches at senior level.

The article notes that at least one of the nominees has been mentioned in multiple internal meetings as a “potential emergency‑call‑up candidate” for the first‑team defensive line, should injuries stretch the senior squad. Another attacking nominee has been described in internal documents reviewed by the outlet as a “future No. 11‑type” for the first‑team, with the caveat that his path will depend on continued improvement in decision‑making and physical conditioning.

Overall, Manchester Mirror frames the fan‑voted award as a way to keep supporters engaged with the lower‑age‑group pipeline at a time when the club’s senior‑team recruitment has drawn criticism. The outlet observes that Manchester United have not yet settled on a fixed group of long‑term first‑team starters, which has increased the visibility of academy products in pre‑ and post‑season planning discussions.

How the 10 nominees fit into the wider academy recruitment and development strategy

The 10‑player shortlist also reflects the club’s current academy recruitment strategy, which has shifted in recent years to place greater emphasis on players capable of playing in multiple positions. Manchester Mirror points out that several of the nominees are routinely used in different roles across the under‑18 and under‑21 teams, a flexibility that coaches have said is vital for long‑term development.

One of the nominees, for instance, is described as having started the season as a central midfielder but later being deployed in a deeper holding role, a positional shift that has improved his engagement with the defensive side of the game. Another nominee is a player who has been rotated between the flanks and the No. 10 role, allowing coaches to test his adaptability against different types of defenders and midfield setups.

The article also notes that the academy has been working more closely with the club’s sports‑science and psychological‑support staff to ensure that the most promising talents are not exposed to excessive match minutes that could hamper their physical development. Manchester Mirror cites a senior academy coach who stresses that “even when the performances are good, sometimes we choose rest over more minutes, because the career is longer than one season.”

Background of this development

The Academy Player of the Season award is not a new initiative at Manchester United, but the 2025/26 edition marks one of the more widely promoted fan‑participatory versions in recent memory. As reported by Manchester Mirror, earlier iterations of the prize were decided entirely by staff and did not feature a public‑voting element.

The change to a fan‑driven format aligns with broader trends across the Premier League, where clubs have increasingly leaned on supporter polls to build engagement with reserve‑team and academy activity. The outlet observes that similar campaigns have been run by other clubs over the past two seasons, but that Manchester United’s academy polling is notable for including both under‑18 and under‑21 nominees on the same shortlist.

Historically, the club’s academy has been a key source of first‑team players, and officials have repeatedly cited it as a stabilising factor during periods of managerial change and transfer‑window uncertainty. Manchester Mirror notes that the current 10‑player shortlist is being viewed internally as a snapshot of the next wave of prospects who may be considered for integration into the senior squad over the next three to five seasons.

Predictions: How this fan‑voted award could affect Manchester United fans and the wider audience

For Manchester United supporters, the 2025/26 Academy Player of the Season poll is likely to deepen identification with the club’s younger players, especially those who have not yet featured in many first‑team matches. Manchester Mirror suggests that a publicly visible award could help create “fan‑owned narratives” around these individuals, potentially increasing demand for their inclusion in future matchday squads.

For the wider football‑media audience, the campaign may reinforce the perception that Manchester United’s academy remains a strong talent pipeline, even as the senior‑team results fluctuate. The outlet notes that analysts and pundits often reference academy‑award winners when assessing the club’s long‑term squad‑building, and that a high‑profile fan‑voted award could make those references more data‑driven and statistically grounded.

For the players themselves, the poll could act as both a motivational tool and a test of early‑career pressure‑handling. Manchester Mirror quotes a former academy graduate who observes that “when your name is out there for a public award, it’s a reminder that people are watching you, but it’s also a chance to show that you’re ready to be part of the bigger picture.” In that sense, the 10‑nominee shortlist may serve as an informal benchmark of which academy prospects are closest to the first‑team threshold, even if the final vote is decided by supporters rather than coaches.