Sir Alex Ferguson is renowned for his reign of dominance at Manchester United, where he has amassed an impressive 11 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues over the 24 years he has been in charge. His undeniable success, wily nature, outspoken attitude, and tactical guile has earned him plenty of plaudits, so much so that he is widely considered one of the best managers of all time.

What is given less credit however, is the Man Utd boss’s subtle ability to craft a well-balanced side capable of performing at the highest level over a span of a couple of decades. Stars have come and gone, but Ferguson has always kept the Red Devils’ mix of experienced players and youngsters at a healthy ratio, and his preference for, on the whole, valuing youthful talent rather than purchasing expensive mature players helps ensure this stability is maintained.

Since the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, and David Beckham came through the Manchester United ranks in the late 1990s and solidified themselves in the first team, the club’s youth academy has not really produced a batch of youngsters worthy of a regular place among the team’s elite. Aside from Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea, who have proven to be top-class players for both club and country, the Old Trafford side have ultimately decided not to keep any academy products since the special batch that won the famous Treble in 1999.  Talented footballers such as Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi, Sunderland winger Kieran Richardson and Spain and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique were all graduates that were judged to be surplus to requirements, proof that Sir Alex Ferguson holds to a very high standard for his squad.

Now, more than ten years after producing the most successful batch of academy graduates, another set of potential first team stars have risen through the ranks and begun to make their presence felt. The likes of Danny Welbeck (on loan to Sunderland), Federico Macheda, Darron Gibson, and Rafael and Fabio Da Silva are all on the fringes of the United side, led by defender Jonny Evans, who has recently solidified himself as a first XI regular in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand.

Adding to the youth academy talents, are other gifted youngsters such as Nani, Anderson, Gabriel Obertan, Chris Smalling, Mame Biram Diouf (on loan to Blackburn Rovers) and most recently Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Bebe. These inclusions, along with the youth academy output, have created a strong foundation for the Red Devils to build from for many years to come. Not only will the budding stars benefit from playing and training at one of the most highly regarded clubs and among the best players in the world, but they will also benefit from the experience of “growing up” together throughout their development – creating a chemistry that is not easily duplicated.

Despite the quality available to Sir Alex Ferguson, and the transfer funds he has had at his disposal, the Scot has chosen to invest in his youngsters, a sign that he sees some real potential in this new batch of developing talents – and rightly so. Nani has proven to be the example by which the others must follow, as he has started to display his true capabilities on wing. His resurgence, along with the composure of Evans, the near return to fitness of Anderson and the promising signs shown by Chicharito, means that Ferguson has a group of young players that will surely be involved this season. Darron Gibson, Federico Macheda and the Da Silva twins have also stepped up and impressed when given the chance to shine, with Rafael particularly likely to push on and become a first team star sooner rather than later, having been entrusted to fill in at right back in a handful of high-pressure games last season despite his tender years.

The United youth academy has not failed to produce exceptional talent since the likes of Giggs and co. came through, but it is only now that such a large number are rising up the ranks with enough talent and more importantly the right mentality and demeanor to have a real shot at holding down first team spots.

In the space of five or so years, current mainstays such as Scholes, Giggs, Neville, Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Michael Owen and even Michael Carrick may have all moved on or hung up their boots, and the new batch of youngsters, along with Wayne Rooney, will be the nucleus of a Manchester United side that will, Ferguson hopes, be well placed to continue the club’s never-ending push for success.