Ex-Man Utd player didn't make his debut until he was 35 despite winning FA Youth Cup

A former Premier League centre-back did not make his debut for Manchester United until he was 35 despite coming through at the club’s academy.

At United, the academy is one of the most important parts of the football club.

Despite boasting 20 Premier League titles and three Champions League crowns the Red Devils have always stayed close to their roots.

Arguably the club’s two most successful managers, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson put a huge emphasis on developing young players.

There has been an academy graduate included in every matchday squad since 1937 with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo just a few of the names who have stepped up to first-team football over the past decade.

And of course, you can’t mention United’s academy without discussing the ‘Class of ‘92’ in the same sentence.

David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes were part of Ferguson’s United side between 1992 and the late 2000s which coincided with the club winning 13 league titles between 1992/93 and 2012/2013 when the Scot retired.

But a player’s career trajectory isn't always so straightforward. One particular academy graduate did not make his debut for United until he was 35.

Defender Paul McShane came through the ranks at the club and starred in the 2003 FA Youth Cup-winning side but was loaned to Walsall and Brighton before penning a permanent deal at West Brom in 2006.

Paul McShane has retired from playing (Credit:Getty)

He went on to play for Sunderland, Hull City, Barnsley, Crystal Palace, Reading and Rochdale as well as being capped by the Republic of Ireland on 33 occasions, before returning to United in 2021.

The club announced that he rejoined the club as a ‘playing coach’ working with the professional development phase (Under 17-23). And his breadth of experience no doubt helped the young stars at the club.

He finally got his chance to play in a competitive fixture for United in the 3-0 EFL Trophy victory against Bradford in August 2021. McShane, 39, played the full 90 minutes of the match. And he seemingly got a taste for playing, starting just weeks later against his former club Sunderland in a 2-1 defeat. Overall, that season he featured six times before retiring from playing. But he still works for the club in a coaching role.