I posted some youth analysis a few years back so thought it might be appropriate to bring it up to date.
This data analyses how well clubs develop their own players for the benefit of their own club. It does not include players developed, used in the first team for a few games and then sold on.
I have used the following criteria to define youth:
1. Joined the club between the ages of 15-18 (or younger). A player who has turned 18 would already be a professional and as such it is difficult to take credit for their development.
2. Players have not played first team elsewhere. If they have already played first team then the previous club has obviously deemed them 'developed' enough for their first team.
3. The player must have played at least 70 league games. This equates to around two seasons of league football and as such the player can be regarded as a regular. I have not included cup games as clubs use the League Cup in particular to give loads of juniors a run out without really testing them in league football.
The following table outlines how many youth products each Premier League club has brought through their youth system.
The club with the highest number of youth products brought through since 1946 are at the top of the table with the exact number in brackets.
1. Manchester United (57)
2. Chelsea (45)
3. West Ham (44)
4. Man City (43)
5. Swansea (41)
6. Sunderland (40)
7. Stoke City (39)
8. Spurs (37)
9. Everton (35)
10. Arsenal (34)
Fulham (34)
12. Southampton (33)
13. Aston Villa (32)
14. QPR (30)
15. Newcastle (25)
Norwich City (25)
West Brom (25)
18. Liverpool (23)
19. Reading (19)
20. Wigan (10)
The data shows some particularly interesting results.
Firstly you must take into account that for those clubs who have been in the Premier League or First Division for the majority of those 60+ years (Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur)...they have had to develop players of a much higher level than Wigan or Reading who needed players historically for the lower leagues. And yet Reading and Wigan have terrible results
In other words it is harder to find and develop players to play in the 'Top Four' clubs and in Europe than anywhere else. Therefore the results of United in particular are even more impressive.
And of course, those of Liverpool are terrible in relation.
Newcastle United have predominantly been a buying club and it's not hard to see that their strategy has been largely unsuccessful for 60 years. You would think they might have tried youth at some point.
Finally, the much lauded Arsenal Youth system, is more about buying young players already developed at other clubs, particularly abroad, rather than developing their own.
To me one thing becomes clear, putting a youth system in place is just as much about developing a culture and philosophy as it is formal infrastructure. Many clubs just don't have that culture.
Young players will always be drawn to Old Trafford because they will get a chance...50% of all first team players have come through the youth system.
And that is what makes Manchester United unique.
This data analyses how well clubs develop their own players for the benefit of their own club. It does not include players developed, used in the first team for a few games and then sold on.
I have used the following criteria to define youth:
1. Joined the club between the ages of 15-18 (or younger). A player who has turned 18 would already be a professional and as such it is difficult to take credit for their development.
2. Players have not played first team elsewhere. If they have already played first team then the previous club has obviously deemed them 'developed' enough for their first team.
3. The player must have played at least 70 league games. This equates to around two seasons of league football and as such the player can be regarded as a regular. I have not included cup games as clubs use the League Cup in particular to give loads of juniors a run out without really testing them in league football.
The following table outlines how many youth products each Premier League club has brought through their youth system.
The club with the highest number of youth products brought through since 1946 are at the top of the table with the exact number in brackets.
1. Manchester United (57)
2. Chelsea (45)
3. West Ham (44)
4. Man City (43)
5. Swansea (41)
6. Sunderland (40)
7. Stoke City (39)
8. Spurs (37)
9. Everton (35)
10. Arsenal (34)
Fulham (34)
12. Southampton (33)
13. Aston Villa (32)
14. QPR (30)
15. Newcastle (25)
Norwich City (25)
West Brom (25)
18. Liverpool (23)
19. Reading (19)
20. Wigan (10)
The data shows some particularly interesting results.
Firstly you must take into account that for those clubs who have been in the Premier League or First Division for the majority of those 60+ years (Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur)...they have had to develop players of a much higher level than Wigan or Reading who needed players historically for the lower leagues. And yet Reading and Wigan have terrible results
In other words it is harder to find and develop players to play in the 'Top Four' clubs and in Europe than anywhere else. Therefore the results of United in particular are even more impressive.
And of course, those of Liverpool are terrible in relation.
Newcastle United have predominantly been a buying club and it's not hard to see that their strategy has been largely unsuccessful for 60 years. You would think they might have tried youth at some point.
Finally, the much lauded Arsenal Youth system, is more about buying young players already developed at other clubs, particularly abroad, rather than developing their own.
To me one thing becomes clear, putting a youth system in place is just as much about developing a culture and philosophy as it is formal infrastructure. Many clubs just don't have that culture.
Young players will always be drawn to Old Trafford because they will get a chance...50% of all first team players have come through the youth system.
And that is what makes Manchester United unique.