9 forgotten Man Utd academy graduates who became cult heroes elsewhere
Manchester United have produced plenty of world-class players over the years, although not all of them make the grade at Old Trafford.
For every Paul Scholes or Marcus Rashford, there are countless examples of other United academy graduates who forge a career for themselves elsewhere.
We’ve looked through the players United have produced in the past and have found nine of them who became cult heroes elsewhere.
Ryan Shawcross
The towering centre-half spent six years at United as a youngster, but only made two senior appearances for the club in 2006-07.
With the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic firmly ahead of him in the pecking order, he left the club in 2007 to pursue a career elsewhere.
After initially joining Stoke City on loan, the move was made permanent in January 2008 and he hasn’t looked back since.
In total, the 37-year-old made over 450 appearances for Stoke and he’s still at the club today, now working as a first-team-coach.
Alvaro Fernandez Carreras
After being picked up from Real Madrid, the attacking Spanish full-back spent a couple of years in the United academy.
Following several promising loan spells, United opted against integrating him into the first team and instead sold him to Benfica, where he’s already become a fan favourite.
The 21-year-old won his first piece of silverware earlier this season, lifting the Taca da Liga after producing an eye-catching performance in the final.
Fortunately for United, they did insert a buy-back clause within his deal. We can’t help but think that he’d be a great asset for the Red Devils, especially in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.
Josh Brownhill
Given Brownhill never made a senior appearance for United, you’d be forgiven for not knowing that he was once part of their academy set-up.
Following successful spells with Preston North End and Bristol City, the 29-year-old has undoubtedly earned cult-hero status while playing for Burnley.
Now the club captain, Brownhill is closing in on 200 appearances for the Clarets and is looking to secure his second promotion with the club.
Joshua King
After progressing through the ranks at Old Trafford, King only made two senior appearances for the club before he left in 2013.
Following a stint with Blackburn Rovers, the forward made a name for himself at Bournemouth where he enjoyed the peak years of his career.
With 53 goals in 184 appearances for the Cherries, he’s the club’s seventh-highest-scoring player of the 21st Century.
Ben Pearson
After spending over 10 years in the United academy, Pearson left the club on a permanent basis in 2016 and joined Championship outfit Preston North End where he quickly earned cult-hero status.
In 165 appearances for North End, the holding midfielder racked up over 60 yellow and red cards, earning him a reputation as one of the biggest EFL sh*thouses in the process.
READ NEXT: Where are they now? The 4 players Man Utd signed alongside Amad Diallo
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League for Man Utd?
Phil Neville
Unlike the majority of other players on this list, Neville enjoyed a successful career at United.
It would therefore be unfair to suggest that he’s a ‘forgotten’ academy graduate, given he made 386 appearances for the club.
However, in a team packed with superstars, the full-back was arguably more of a cult hero at Everton where he spent the final eight years of his career.
“From the moment the manager [Moyes] came to my house, I didn’t want to speak to anyone else,” Neville told Sky Sports after making the move to Goodison Park.
The experienced full-back became club captain in 2007 and firmly established himself as an Everton fan-favourite during his stint at the club.
Craig Cathcart
Despite being highly-rated while in the United academy, Cathcart never made a senior appearance for the club and departed in 2010 to join Blackpool.
The Northern Ireland international enjoyed his peak years with Watford where he racked up an impressive 262 appearances.
He played a key role in two of their promotions from the Championship and established himself as a solid defender in the Premier League too.
Danny Drinkwater
The holding midfielder spent a whopping 13 years at United, but after progressing through their youth ranks, he never got his chance in the senior squad.
Instead, he made a name for himself at Leicester City, where he managed to win the Premier League in 2015-16.
While the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante take most of the plaudits for that legendary season, players like Drinkwater also had a vital role to play.
If that doesn’t earn you cult-hero status, nothing will.
QUIZ: Can you name every player to appear for Leicester in their 2015-16 title-winning season?
Oliver Norwood
“As a six year old, you don’t realise where you train, you just enjoy your football,” Norwood told the official Northern Ireland website when discussing his youth career.
“As you start to progress through the age groups you start to realize you are playing in Manchester United’s academy.”
After being spotted by United scouts at the age of six, Norwood spent his entire youth career at the club, but he never managed to make a first-team appearance.
Instead, the holding midfielder has crafted a successful career elsewhere, with several promotions to the Premier League on his CV.
While Norwood is highly regarded by most of his former clubs, he probably shared the closest bond with Sheffield United where he spent five years and won two promotions.
Now playing for Stockport County in League One, we wouldn’t be surprised if he adds another promotion to his CV in the near future.