Football: The Next Generation

11 years ago, a young Mason Greenwood got his picture taken with Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solksjaer; last night, Ole subbed him on against Everton and he finished brilliantly to help Manchester United equalise. 3 days prior, Greenwood had scored an emphatic brace against AZ Alkmaar to inspire Manchester United to a win in the Europa League. So who is Mason Greenwood? Born on the 1st of October 2001 in Bradford, Mason Greenwood is a lethal young forward that stands at just under 6 ft tall. Now 18, Greenwood began his footballing journey at the age of 6, playing in United's academy setup. In the 2017/18 season he broke into the U-18 team at the age of 16 and ended the campaign as the top scorer of the U-18 Premier League North, bagging 17 goals in 21 games. Greenwood had his first experience with the first team in the pre-season tour of the 2018/19 season, featuring as a sub off the bench. A few months later, Ole handed Greenwood his competitive debut in the latter en

Football academies teach the beautiful game to prospective players as young as 5 or 6. They hone and refine their natural abilities and shape them into incredible players that can really impact a match. From legends of the past to stars of today, they all started somewhere. Today we'll be looking at the 5 best football academies in Europe, analysing factors such as the quality of facilities, experience of staff and the achievements of their most famous academy graduates. 5. Sporting CP Youth Academy Based in Lisbon, the Sporting CP Youth Academy is the gateway for talented youngsters to break into the Sporting CP first team. The academy is broken down into 5 youth squads: U19s, U17s, U17s (B), U15s, U15s (B). The current academy was built in 2002, with 1 full size pitch, 4 smaller training pitches and a separate area for goalie training. It also includes study rooms and a medical center with treatment rooms, a jacuzzi, gym, showers and bedrooms. At Euro 2016, 10 Sportin