Uansett, her er en oversikt over de han mener har vært våre største talenter, som han har sett selv på akademinivå. Derfor Rooney og Ronaldo blir nevnt helt på slutten. Noen av våre eldre fans vil kjenne igjen flere av navnene :)
Tenkte dette kunne være et slags utgangspunkt for en diskusjon, eller eventuelt bare stå for egen regning. Hittil har vi bare persontråder her, så jeg tenkte en mer generell diskusjon av talenter eller akademiet var på sin plassVery hard to compare players...particularly when they are in different eras, playing positions, different team context, different managers.
It's almost impossible.
The challenge for young talent when breaking through into the first team is 'doing enough' to show that you are taking the opportunity. Loads of kids have come through who showed talent at youth level but couldn't TAKE the opportunity when it came.
Players like Marcus Rashford are a good example. He got an unexpected break and took his chance. He's turning into a really good footballer.
Others like Januzaj, Wilson, O'Kane, Curtis...and going further back players like Peter Coyne. All brilliant at 16-18 but couldn't push on.
It's also easier to get excited by attacking players but the likes of Pogba, Butt, Gary Neville were exceptional at that age. People forget Nicky Butt was a really exciting tenacious midfield talent who broke through at 18. He held his place in a very competitive midfield. It's just hard to get excited about midfielders in the same way as attackers but boy he could play which is why Ferguson sold Ince in 1995.
Others were late developers. I know loads of coaches were incredibly excited by Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Jesse Lingard and others but at 18 they were not ready.
In terms of talent at 18 Mason is certainly up there with the best I've seen at United.
My top 10 talents that I've seen reach the first team and really excited me would be:
1. Norman Whiteside - an amazing player. A man at 16. Injury curtailed his pace otherwise he would have been world class.
2. Ryan Giggs - one of the few players I'd pay extra money to watch and the closest to Best. What a career.
3. Ravel Morrison - the things this kid could do with the ball sent me dizzy. We all know he didn't push on.
4. Mark Hughes - his aggression amongst men was eye-opening. 24 goals in his first full season. People forget how good he was.
5. Mason Greenwood - he could easily turn out the best on this list. The most two-footed I've ever seen.
6. Guiseppe Rossi - his goalscoring record and range of goals were breathtaking. Injuries and perhaps size held him back in England.
7. Wes Brown - a Rolls Royce defender who loved to defend. Classy and hard as nails. But for injury he could have been Englands CH for years.
8. Andy Ritchie - ten league goals in 16 starts...two hat-tricks...played all his 32 games as a teenager. Should have kept him instead of buying Birtles!
9. Sammy McIlroy - scored on his debut v city. Four goals in eight starts. Car crash really affected his development in 1973.
10. Mark Robins - ten goals in 17 games in his first full season in 1989/90 helping us reach the FA Cup Final. That famous goal v Forest.
Other players I've missed out would include Danny Welbeck, Kieran Richardson, Will Keane, Adnan Januzaj and Keith Gillespie.
I've not include Rooney or Ronaldo because I didn't see them at youth level so there wasn't any real expectation. Rooney was amazing and many people do him a disservice. He was always in the game...always looking to make a difference. I would rate him higher than Mason at the same age.
