John Murtough has blueprint for Manchester United revival

Manchester United might get ribbed by their rivals for celebrating a Youth Cup triumph like a senior honour, but there is a genuine reason why success in midweek could well provide the blueprint for the first-team to follow in the years ahead.

As the most successful side in the illustrious history of the youth tournament, it can be dangerous to presume United are entitled to future successes simply because of their past exploits.

This dangerous complacency has already hurt United before, with the club punished for taking their eye off the ball and presuming further talented youngsters would emerge from the famed academy system.

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United boast a record of having an academy graduate part of their first-team squad for the last 4,146 matches and can unravel a list of 243 youth products who have made their senior debut for the club, but the real achievement is to maintain such a heritage and embrace the enormous responsibility placed upon them.

Victory in the Youth Cup on Wednesday night was another step in the right direction, and further reward for one pillar of the club which has been effectively overhauled in recent memory.

Prior to being appointed the club's inaugural football director last year, John Murtough was tasked with overseeing the overhaul of United's overhaul of the academy and recruitment department.

A key aspect of the rebuild was putting the right personnel in place around the academy, with the appointment of individuals who could not only continue the youth to uphold the club's famed youth set-up but bring in fresh ideas to innovate it as well.

Murtough brought Nick Cox into the club and backed his appointment as the