Player Development: The Manchester United Way

By Ciaran Deely PhD

The recent Training Ground Guru Live Conference 2025 at Old Trafford finished on a
fitting note — a session exploring what has made Manchester United such a unique
environment for player development over the years. I wanted to write a blog from this
unique viewpoint, after I thoroughly enjoyed representing Sport Horizon there for the 2
days.

Moderated by Simon Austin, the discussion brought together three voices who have lived
that experience from very different angles: Ryan Giggs, former Manchester United
winger and one of the club’s most decorated players; Tony Strudwick, former Head of
Performance at United and now Head of Performance at West Brom; and Tom Heaton,
current Manchester United goalkeeper and academy graduate.

Between them, they offered a fascinating look into what they described as the five pillars of
development that have underpinned the Manchester United way for decades: Discovery,
Development, Culture & Identity, Innovation, and Leadership.

---

Discovery

Ryan opened with a story that perfectly captured the spirit of discovery at United. As a 13-
year-old playing for Salford Boys, he remembered seeing Sir Alex Ferguson standing on the
sideline at The Cliff, watching him play. Ryan had been part of Manchester City’s setup at the
time but was a United fan. On his 14th birthday, Ferguson came to his house and personally
invited him to sign for Manchester United.

That story said everything about the club’s approach — personal, relational, and instinctive.
It wasn’t just about talent ID in the modern, data-driven sense. It was about connection and
seeing something in a young player that went beyond metrics. Discovery at United was
always about people first.

---

Development

Once you were in the system, the standards were clear. Tom explained that being a United
academy player came with expectations — good attitude, strong work ethic, and quality on
the ball. Ryan recalled how the coaches placed huge emphasis on technical skills and ball mastery, every single day. “We were constantly working with the ball,” he said. “And we
were prepared for first-team football the hard way.”

Tony added that development was as much about robustness and physical resilience as it
was about skill. He warned that many young players today are overloaded with structured
football, leaving less room for the kind of movement variety that builds adaptable athletes.
“We need to bring back multi-sport participation,” he said. “Let kids discover different
movement solutions.”

Tom nodded, recalling how he played tennis, went rock climbing and canoeing when he was
younger. Those experiences built the balance and coordination he still draws on today. “At
Carrington now,” he said, “we’ve even got spaces where players can try other sports. It
keeps training enjoyable and varied.”

All three agreed on one message: work hard, but have fun and with a smile on your face.
That mantra still echoes through the academy corridors today.

---

Culture & Identity

The conversation turned naturally to the famous culture that has defined Manchester
United for generations. Ryan spoke about what it felt like to have the freedom to express
himself — encouraged to take risks, dribble, and try things, even if it meant losing the ball
nine times out of ten. “The tenth one might win you the game,” he said.

He remembered how the atmosphere changed whenever Sir Alex walked out to watch a
session. “The intensity went up instantly,” he laughed. “You could feel it.” Even as academy
players, they knew the manager might be watching. That connection between the youth and
first-team setups was physical as well as cultural — everyone shared the same building, the
same offices, and the same mission.

Tony described that culture as expectation without pressure. The demand to win was
ingrained, but it came from collective standards, not fear. “It was set in stone,” he said.
“Behaviours flowed from that culture.”

Tom offered perspective from the present day: “It’s different now. The club is rebuilding its
foundations, trying to re-establish that identity. The standards are still high, but the
landscape has changed.”

Still, that sense of pride and belonging remains at the heart of United’s DNA.

---

Innovation

Ryan and Tony both spoke about Sir Alex’s constant drive for progress. “Every season,”
Tony said, “he’d start with the same question: how can we get a competitive advantage?”

He was relentless in his pursuit of improvement — updating staff, evolving ideas, and
challenging the environment around him. “When you’re at the top of your game, change the
game,” was one of his mantras.

Tony reflected that this mindset kept United ahead during a time when the sport itself was
changing rapidly. “High-performance environments are built on curiosity,” he said. “You’re
compelled to stay at the top of your game — to keep asking what will help the team and
players.”

Even now, that attitude continues to shape how United approach innovation. The question
isn’t if change is needed — it’s when and how fast.

---

Leadership

The final theme tied everything together. Ryan shared one of Ferguson’s trademark lines:
“Give that plumber who’s worked hard all week something to shout about when he comes
to Old Trafford on a Saturday.”

It summed up the human side of leadership — football as connection, entertainment, and
joy. Ferguson gave his players structure, but within it, freedom to express themselves. “He
used to say: my job is to give you a framework; your job is to bring it to life,” Ryan recalled.

He also raised a concern about the modern game — that some players are being over-
coached and losing their spontaneity. “I’d love to see more left-footed wingers on the left
again,” he said, “just taking players on, beating them.”

Tom spoke about developing grit and tenacity over time. “It’s built through consistent
messages,” he said. “Reinforcing the right attitude day after day — and correcting it when it
slips.”

Tony finished with a reflection on Ferguson’s relationship with data — or perhaps his
version of it. “You couldn’t be analogue in a digital world,” he smiled. “He would have
embraced it.” But what Ferguson wanted most was clarity. “Sometimes he didn’t want a
long report — just a sentence: ‘How’s Ryan feeling?’” The balance between information and
instinct. Between science and simplicity.

---

Closing Thoughts

Listening to Ryan, Tony, and Tom, it was clear that The Manchester United Way isn’t just a
philosophy — it’s a living culture built on discovery, discipline, and joy. The methods have
evolved, the environment has changed, but the principles remain: trust your people, let
them express themselves, and never stop asking how to improve.

For those of us working in development and performance, that blend of tradition and
innovation is still the real competitive advantage.

Panel from “Player Development: The Manchester United Way” –
Training Ground Guru Live Conference 2025, Old Trafford.