Timothy Fosu-Mensah believes that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has an unfair reputation of not giving young players a chance to play, pointing to the number of games Marcus Rashford featured in last season.
Mourinho’s preference for working with experienced heads at the likes of Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid has seen the Portuguese coach accused of not developing the stars of tomorrow.
Indeed it was a point that Mourinho himself felt was unfair, vigorously defending himself in his first press conference as Manchester United manager last summer when questioned about his history of playing young players by claiming he’d given debuts to 49 individuals up until that moment in time.
Fosu-Mensah, 19, who featured in just four Premier League matches last season, has played in all three of United’s pre-season games so far this summer.
And the young defender believes Mourinho is unfairly criticised about his youth development.
The Netherlands Under-21s international says that Marcus Rashford’s inclusion in a significant number of Manchester United’s matches last season – with 53 showings – is proof that Mourinho will trust teenage talents to play if they are good enough.
Fosu-Mensah said, as reported by Sky Sports: “Marcus played the most games last season so I think what they say about him is not true. He gives youth a chance.
“I think as a young player you have to grab the chance with both hands.”