Manchester United youth have a reputation for producing world-class football talent.
The acclaimed “Class of 92” comes to mind immediately – a group of world bats who for nearly two decades have been instrumental in making United a European powerhouse.
Marcus Rashford is another sensational United youth product, while Mason Greenwood shows the right signs in the early years of his career at Old Trafford.
While their history is littered with Academy success stories, there is this select group of stars that initially blazed so brightly that they were only forgotten.
So while we know what happened to the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and the aforementioned Rashford, what happened to the child prodigies who were about to set the Premier League on fire but just never got going?
Mads Timm
Timm’s United trip is a bizarre story.
After being impressed at the academy, Timm was nearly fired by Sir Alex Ferguson after being beaten to an institute for young offenders with a one-year sentence for reckless driving.
In 2009, the Dane retired at the age of just 25 after returning to his homeland and losing interest in the game.
Federico Macheda
The real superstar.
Macheda exploded on stage in 2008-09 when his stunning twist and finish against Aston Villa effectively killed a hot title race with Liverpool.
Unfortunately, that was better than ever for the Italian as he tried to get a first place on the team.
The spells in Sampdoria, QPR, Stuttgart, Doncaster, Birmingham, Cardiff and Nottingham Forest couldn’t get it going again.
However, the 29-year-old Macheda appears to be at home with Greek side Panathinaikos, who have scored 33 times in 89 league games for the club.
Dong Fangzhou
Dong Fangzhou’s story is a real cautionary story.
One of the best prospects ever to get out of China, Fangzhou was signed by United in 2004. He was initially forced to conduct his trade in Belgium as he was waiting for an English work permit, but when it was approved it all fell apart.
The language barrier proved a major stumbling block, while his acute and debilitating shyness meant that he could never really embed himself.
His contract was terminated in 2008 and he returned to China, where he recently appeared on a reality TV show when he was undergoing plastic surgery on his overweight face after years of heavy partying.
Rodrigo Possebon
To be fair to Possebon, his failure to make the cut at United wasn’t entirely his fault.
His potentially laden career was nearly ended by a terrible challenge in an FA Cup draw with Middlesborough, and although he did recover, he never quite reached his pre-injury height.
He was last seen kicking a ball in Vietnam, but his contract with Ho Chi Minh City was terminated after an utterly overwhelming time.
Angelo Henriquez
Henriquez was picked up by United at the age of 15 for a staggering £ 4m fee.
He stayed in his native Chile for the next few seasons before getting too much fanfare in 2012.
For one reason or another he just never really got started and after loaning out to Wigan and Real Zaragoza, Henriquez was signed by Dinamo Zagreb.
However, the goals dried up and he is now back in Chile.
David Bellion
Bellion was torn from Sunderland when United became aware of its rapid pace – he won the 60-meter sprint at the 2001 National Indoor Youth Championships.
Unfortunately, that just didn’t translate on the pitch and Bellion landed back in France after several loan spells.
Oddly enough, he’s now a soccer mogul advising current stars on their style while also serving as the creative director at Red Star Belgrade.
Ben Thornley
Thornley, touted as the most talented member of the Class of 92, had his career blown up by an excruciating knee injury.
He was never the same player in the years that followed, and at some point on his game days he would set the time by casting spells in the lower echelons of the English game.
Today he works as a commentator for MUTV and has recently published an excellent autobiography.
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