Idolising Cristiano Ronaldo and celebrations at Gary Neville's hotel - Charlie McNeill's path to his Manchester United debut

The academy building at Carrington has had an upgrade. The most illustrious graduates of Manchester United's academy now adorn its vast exterior, starting with the captain of the Busby Babes, Roger Byrne, and ending with local Lionesses hero Ella Toone.

Almost three years on from the 4,000th consecutive match that an academy player was included in a United first-team matchday squad, the club's talent factory is homing in on another milestone.

Once six more academy players cross the white line for the senior side then United will have hit the 250 mark. Charlie McNeill became the 244th debutant against Real Sociedad.

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The 19-year-old trained with the Under-21s last Monday and Tuesday before he was told he would be promoted to the first-team's session on Wednesday along with Tyler Fredricson and Kobbie Mainoo. McNeill was only informed late on Wednesday evening he would be in the matchday squad against Sociedad.

There McNeill was, in the distance and almost resembling a mirage, the United players were that far away, distinguishable by his fringe - favoured by seemingly every teenage Mancunian male at Carrington.

Whether it was intentional or not, there is a path from the academy building to the first-team dressing room in the main structure. You exit its glass double doors, cross one road, then follow the straight pathway beneath the neon 'Manchester United' sign, past a tranquil fountain, cross another road and towards the sign marked 'Welcome'. Then you have arrived - literally and, in some cases, metaphorically.

The fountain is a symbolic presence at a club renowned for its youth and McNeill first walked that path last season to train