Manchester United Academy Notebook: Latest Updates and News
The Manchester Evening News brings you the latest updates from Manchester United’s academy, providing exclusive coverage of the club’s youth setup.
In this week’s notebook, we discuss the potential departure of under-18 boss Adam Lawrence, the Under-21s’ progression to the Premier League 2 semi-final, and the release of three players as their contracts expire.
Lawrence Considering Departure from Manchester United
According to the Manchester Evening News, Adam Lawrence is considering leaving his position as under-18 boss at Manchester United. Sources close to the matter have revealed that Lawrence has not made a final decision but is looking for a new challenge and is more likely to leave the club.
Lawrence was appointed as an under-16 coach in January 2021 before being promoted to head of player development for the under-13 to U16 age groups. He was subsequently appointed as U18 boss in the summer of 2023. Last season, he won a special treble, but it appears that he feels now is the right time to move on.
Manchester Derby Semi-Final
The Under-21s progressed to the Premier League 2 semi-final on Monday afternoon, thanks to a comfortable 4-1 win against West Ham. They will now play Manchester City in the last four, with the game set to be played at the City Academy Stadium on Friday night.
Travis Binnion’s side have done brilliantly to get to the semi-finals, conceding first against Everton and West Ham (in the last two rounds) before scoring four goals in each of those games. City stand in the way of reaching the PL2 final, and it should be a cracking match.
Three Players Set to Leave Manchester United
The Manchester Evening News understands that Jack Kingdon, Sam Murray, and James Nolan will leave Manchester United when their contracts expire this summer. The trio are out of contract at the end of the season and are set to depart after not being offered fresh terms at United.
It is surprising that Kingdon is being allowed to leave after a strong first loan with Rochdale. Kingdon was close to joining Ineos-owned FC Lausanne Sport on loan in the January window – he joined Rochdale instead – and was hoping to impress Ruben Amorim during pre-season.
Gore’s Loan Comes to an End
Manchester United planned for Dan Gore to play for the U21s against West Ham earlier in the week, but Rotherham manager Matt Hamshaw indicated he wanted him to play their final game of the season. Gore returned to Rotherham a fortnight ago after recovering from a foot injury.
The midfielder played just over an hour in Rotherham’s 2-1 victory over Peterborough, and United were pleased to see Gore given a start despite the imminent end of his loan. What happens next with Gore remains to be seen, as his contract expires in June 2026.
Kamason and Mantato Supported by First-Team
Jaydan Kamason and Bendito Mantato supported their U21 peers from the stands at Leigh Sports Village on Monday. They were not involved with that game because they are needed for the first-team’s preparations.
The young duo were included in the squad to face Bilbao in the Estadio de San Mames. They did not travel to face Brentford in London last weekend, but they could return to the bench for the Europa League semi-final second leg after helping the first-team prepare for Bilbao in training at Carrington.
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