Youth FA Cup Final: Young fans flock to watch Manchester United win
- Published
It was a night of glory for the young players of Manchester United's Under-18s academy side. The team won the FA Youth Cup - one of the biggest competitions for future stars.
The match was played at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, and tens of thousands of fans came to see the game between the young stars of Manchester United and those of Nottingham Forest. The crowd included David de Gea, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes from the men's team alongside former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and ex-players like Bryan Robson and Michael Carrick.
Tickets for the match were offered to teams and schools, and there was a record number of fans present: 67,492 were there - almost a full house - smashing the competition's previous record of 38,187.
The match itself was closely fought with Manchester United scoring first.
They went ahead through United captain Rhys Bennett who has been with the club since Under-9 level and who grew up nearby. Before kick off, he said: "It's a massive game, significant in the club's history... it's an amazing experience for every one of us. It's the closest you can get to a first-team game, playing in front of thousands of fans, an unbelievable opportunity."
But it didn't all go United's way. Nottingham Forest equalised when Joshua Powell's shot beat Radek Vitek just before half-time.
But the hero of the night was young star Alejandro Garnacho. The 17-year-old scored twice - once with a penalty - to seal the game 3-1. And plenty of the team joined in with a Ronaldo-style 'siiuuuu' celebration! Watch out for Garnacho who made his first-team debut last month.
It's Manchester United's 11th FA Youth Cup triumph and their first since 2011. Hopefully it can give fans a lift after a disappointing season for the grown-ups in the men's team!