What happened to the six players Jose Mourinho handed Man Utd debuts? | OneFootball

GIVEMESPORT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Pause

Unmute

Current Time 0:00

/

Duration 4:54

Loaded: 2.11%

Jose Mourinho's time at Manchester United was largely seen as a failure, but for some players it will be seen as a special time as the Portuguese boss handed them their first appearances for the club.

The 'Special One' was the main man in the Old Trafford dugout from the beginning of the 2016/17 season up until the club took the decision to part ways with the charismatic manager in December 2018, following a 3-1 loss against Liverpool at Anfield.

During his first campaign with the club, the serial winner did what he does best and got his hands on silverware in the form of the Europa League as well as the Community Shield at the start of the season.

A sixth-place finish that season was allowed to slide due to the club gaining entry into the Champions League for the following season, while their performance in the Premier League the following year was also an improvement as Mourinho guided the team comfortably into second place without ever threatening a title charge against local rivals, Manchester City.

Unlike some other Premier League managers, the 60-year-old is not necessarily known for his development of youth players, but that's not to say he has never done so.

We're taking a look at the six academy players handed their Manchester United debuts by Mourinho during his time with the club, and where their careers have led them.

Axel Tuanzebe

The young centre-back was brought on as a substitute in a comfortable FA Cup victory over Wigan Athletic back in 2017, and went on to play another seven times for the same manager. He has not succeeded at his boyhood club thus far, however, as he has only made 19 league appearances.

The now 25-year-old spent a large portion of his senior United career out on loan at Aston Villa in three different seasons, Napoli and now Stoke City for the 2023/24 campaign. Again, he did not have the time he expected when he first headed out to Italy with only one league appearance coming his way.

He is now embarking on a season in the Championship with Stoke with the hopes of helping the club get back into the Premier League after an ever-growing absence.

Scott McTominay

The Scotland international is still part of the Man United first-team squad, although rumours have been persistent throughout the transfer window that he could make a move to another Premier League club in search of regular and meaningful minutes. Being left on the bench for the opening two league games against Wolves and Tottenham show that his current boss, Erik ten Hag, does not have significant plans for the midfielder.

He was handed his first-ever appearance for the club by Mourinho in a match against Arsenal in May 2017, and McTominay has shown nothing but respect and gratitude towards his former boss.

In an interview with Sky Sports, McTominay said: "He'll always have a special place in mine and my family's heart because he's the one who brought you in, he was the one who trusted you, he was the one who had belief in you."

It is always nice to see a player being grateful for the opportunity, with the Scot continuing: "I owe a tremendous amount of credit to him because if it wasn't for him I might not necessarily be sitting in this seat."

Joel Pereira

It is quite unusual for a goalkeeper to earn their first competitive appearance via a substitute cameo, but that was exactly the case for Periera when Mourinho brought him on for Sergio Romero against Wigan in 2017.

Making only three appearances for the club before leaving in 2021, there were originally very big expectations placed on the shoulders of the young goalkeeper. As Mourinho said, per The Sun: "We have a third goalkeeper that I think will be the best Portuguese goalkeeper of the next generation, so anyone in goal I trust completely."

His most recent club was RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie after leaving Old Trafford permanently, following loan spells with Hearts and Huddersfield Town. Pereira is currently without a club at the age of 27.

Josh Harrop

It's quite bizarre that Harrop only made this one single appearance for United, as he found the back of the net in a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace. The youngster was offered the chance to remain at the club, with a new contract offer being on the table, but he opted to make the move to Championship side Preston.

The English midfielder was on the books at Deepdale for five years, with loan stints at both Ipswich Town and Fleetwood Town proving to be the beginning of the end of his time with the club. Harrop now plays for League One side Northampton Town after joining in 2022.

Demetri Mitchell

The English full-back was handed his one and only competitive appearance by Mourinho in 2017, in a heavily rotated starting XI. He was a bigger part of the youth sides at the club, before joining Scottish side, Hearts, on loan in 2018. In June 2020, Mitchell left the club following the expiry of his contract as he then moved to Blackpool on a free transfer.

Six months into his time at Exeter City currently, the 27-year-old has been full of praise for his former United boss as McTominay has. Per the Manchester Evening News, Mitchell said: “I have to pay respect to Jose. He gave me my United debut, so he has been an important figure in my career. He took me on tour twice with the United first team and I learned a lot under his management."

Angel Gomes

Gomes represents the most successful story of a youth player that has left United since being given their start by Mourinho. He is still only 22 years old, but has not been a Manchester United player since 2020 as he made a move to Lille in France. The English midfielder is a big part of Lille's plans after making 36 Ligue 1 appearances in the 2022/23 season.

Gomes became the club’s youngest debutant since Duncan Edwards in 1953 after being brought on as a substitute in a win over Crystal Palace. He was only 16 at the time. Having just played a vital part in England Under 21s winning the Under 21s European Championships in the summer, he will continue to be a big part of the Lille set-up with Premier League clubs no doubt keeping an eye on his progress.