Manchester United are aware of the potential they have at their disposal in the likes of Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood, says Chris Smalling, with the club doing all they can to prevent “burn out”.
The Red Devils boast a rich history of bringing academy stars into their first-team fold.
Replicating the success of the fabled ‘Class of ‘92’ will not be easy, but a steady stream of talent continues to roll off the production line.
The likes of Chong and Greenwood, along with James Garner and Angel Gomes, have made senior breakthroughs and are being tipped to make even more of an impact over pre-season.
Long-serving Smalling has told United’s official website of the stars of tomorrow: “It's very much an exciting time for them and you want to see them flourish and help them.
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“I’m sure a good number will come on tour and it’s really a time for them to bond with us, and show the manager what they are all about. Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] will definitely give some of them a chance as they’ve been training with us for a long time.
“It is all well and good coming over training with us most of the week, though, but it’s a massive experience getting to know each other off the pitch and building relationships.
“That’s often the next stage that cements them and makes them feel more confident when they’re on the pitch. Once you know someone, you speak a lot more and demand more. Until you really know someone, it’s hard to demand something from them.”
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Smalling, who joined United at 20 years of age and has spent nine years at the club, believes the next generation of Red Devils superstars are in the best possible place for their ongoing development.
He added: “They can be involved in the squad but then go back to the reserves and it’s about that evolution.
“Having a manager like Ole, who is experienced within the club, means United hit the nail on the head with that.
“Quite often, there can be a clamour from us as fans as well as players, to say 'this kid is great, let’s just throw him in' and everyone is clamouring to do that. But the manager knows the right time to bring them in and take them out.
“Ultimately, they have got long careers ahead of them and you don’t want them to burn out too early or be exposed too soon.
“The beauty here is we’ve got the best coaches to manage it properly as this club has done year after year.”
United will be looking for those on their books, both young and old, to make more of an impact in 2019-20 as they seek to recover from the step backwards they took as a collective last season.
