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Kieran McKenna worked with some top prospects

Where are they now? Kieran McKenna’s Man Utd Under-18 squad from 2016-17

Kieran McKenna was Manchester United’s Under-18 manager for two years before he was promoted to assistant manager under Jose Mourinho in 2018.

He spent three years in that role before forging a coaching career of his own with Ipswich Town. Since joining the Tractor Boys, his managerial reputation has grown immensely.

McKenna guided Ipswich to promotion from League One last season and he now has the club sitting top of the Championship with just six games to go.

The 37-year-old is undoubtedly one of the brightest coaches around today and we’ve checked in on where some of his United Under-18 squad from 2016-17 are today.

Ilias Moutha-Sebtaoui

The Belgian goalkeeper spent three years on the books at Old Trafford, but never got a sniff in the senior squad. After being let go in 2018, he’s spent the bulk of his career playing in his native country.

Now aged 25, he plays for KVK Tienen in the third tier of Belgian football.

Alex Fojticek

Since leaving United in 2020, Fojticek has rarely stayed in one place for long. He’s played for five different sides in the last four years and currently finds himself with Tatran Presov, who compete in the second tier of Slovakian football.

Brandon Williams

Williams got his big break in 2019 when he was handed his senior debut by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019. He’s since made 51 appearances for the club, although it’s not all been smooth sailing for the 23-year-old.

Due to injury, he’s not played that much football over the last couple of years. He linked up with McKenna in the summer once again as he joined Ipswich on a season-long loan, although he’s been out of action since December.

Ipswich do have the option to purchase Williams on a permanent basis, but given his lack of game time, the club seems unlikely to trigger that option at this stage.

Manchester United FC defender Brandon Williams (33) looks to control the ball during the second half of the Soccer Champions Tour match between Manchester United FC and Real Madrid CF

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Ro-Shaun Williams

The central defender joined the United academy as a nine-year-old and he left the club in January 2019 to go in search of first-team football.

He managed to get just that at Shrewsbury Town as he made 97 appearances for the League One outfit between 2019-2021. He then enjoyed two years with Doncaster Rovers before joining Northern Ireland side Larne in January.

Larne currently sit top of the NIFL Premiership, so there’s a good chance he gets his hands on some silverware this year.

Luca Ercolani

Ercolani has bounced around the Italian lower divisions since he left Old Trafford in 2021. You can currently find the 24-year-old defender playing for Foggia in Serie C.

Tom Sang

The versatile full-back has crafted a decent career for himself in the EFL since leaving United in 2019. He got his first crack at senior football with Cardiff and after spending a few years in the Welsh capital as a squad player, he joined Port Vale last year.

Since he arrived at Vale Park, Sang has racked up 44 appearances and has played in several positions for the League One outfit.

George Tanner

After honing his craft in the United academy, Tanner joined Carlisle United in 2020 and it didn’t take long until he was on the move again.

Following an eye-catching debut season with Carlisle, Bristol City were quick to swoop in for the full-back in 2021. He’s since racked up 82 appearances for the Robins and has featured in the majority of matches this season.

Still just 24 years old, Tanner has a bright future ahead of him.


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James Garner

Garner was one of the top players within the United academy around the time McKenna was at the club. Being a composed central midfielder with an eye for a killer pass, he looked like a United player in the making.

His reputation took off on the back of a successful loan spell with Nottingham Forest in 2021–22 as he played a key role in their promotion campaign from the Championship.

Upon returning to Old Trafford in 2022, the club pondered integrating him into the senior squad but instead decided to cash in while his value was at an all-time high.

Everton coughed up a base fee of £9million, which could rise to £15million with add-ons included. After a fairly slow start at Goodison Park, he’s established himself as a key performer this time around.

Ethan Hamilton

The creative midfielder made it as far as the United bench, but he never managed a senior appearance for the club. He eventually left the club in 2020 and has enjoyed a good career in the EFL since.

After enjoying stints with Peterborough United and Accrington Stanley, he now plays for Lincoln City. With Lincoln currently on a 15-game unbeaten streak, they’re in with a chance of promotion this season.

Dylan Levitt

Levitt was one of the few players from this squad who managed to make a senior appearance for United. He was handed his chance during a Europa League clash with Astana in 2019, but that proved to be his only game for the club.

Following a series of loan spells, the Welsh international eventually joined Dundee United in 2022. He spent one year with the Scottish club before securing a move to Hibernian in a £300,000 deal.

Angel Gomes

The hype surrounding Gomes was immense back in the day. He made his senior debut at 16 and subsequently became the youngest player to represent the club since Duncan Edwards in 1953.

With a low centre of gravity and intelligent football brain, Gomes seemed like he had all of the tools to make it at Old Trafford.

However, around the time his contract was expiring, he found first-team opportunities hard to come by and despite prolonged negotiations, he was released in 2020.

Since leaving the club, the diminutive midfield maestro has done well for himself. He’s racked up over 100 appearances for Lille and being just 23 years old, has a bright future ahead of him yet.

Angel Gomes, endorsed by Leo Messi, Ian Wright, and Planet Football

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Tahith Chong

Despite knocking on the door for the senior squad, Chong eventually left the club in 2022, having made 16 senior appearances.

“At such a big club like United they’re buying players every year and as a young player you get to that stage where just training with the first team might not be enough, you need game-time, you need to play — whether on loan or on a permanent basis,” Chong told The Sun last year.

Leaving United was probably the correct decision looking back on things. Following an eye-catching season with Birmingham, he was picked up by Luton Town in the summer and is now back in the Premier League.

Zak Dearnley

Dearnley managed to make the bench under Mourinho, but he never made a senior appearance. Since leaving United in 2019, the winger has enjoyed a career in the lower levels of English football.

He’s rarely stuck around in one place for long as the 25-year-old has played for eight different clubs in the last five years. These days you can catch him playing for Ossett United in the Northern Premier League Division One East.