The fact that ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ were such an important part of Manchester United’s history is a sign of how important the club thinks the Under-18s part of the Academy is, with Zachary Watson being the latest example of a talent to emerge from it. Born on the 19th of September 2008, he played for Doncaster Rovers as a youth player before being signed by the Red Devils in 2022. He was one of three players that United signed from the Doncaster club, joining Jariyah Shah and Neithan Barbosa in a move that ended up costing the Red Devils a six-figure sum in compensation.
He signed scholarship forms with Manchester United in 2025, having joined the Under-14s age group before becoming part of Darren Fletcher’s Under-18s for the 2025-2026 season. He was also part of the England Under-15 camp earlier in his career, having been born in Harrogate in North Yorkshire. Given the fact that Watson is a goalkeeper, there is a long list of names associated with the position for Manchester United that he will have to live up to if he hopes to make it into the first team and become a regular starter for the Old Trafford side.