Manchester United's exciting team for FA Youth Cup glory

Manchester United's exciting team for FA Youth Cup glory - JJ Gabriel, Chido Obi and Kai Rooney

Man Utd's youngsters are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup after beating Oxford United earlier this week.

Manchester United are looking to extend their rich history in the FA Youth Cup this season. United have won the competition more than any other club, and Darren Fletcher is hopeful of clinching the trophy again.

Fletcher returned to manage the Under-18s after serving as first-team caretaker for two matches. The Scot was offered the chance to be part of Michael Carrick's backroom staff, but he decided to return to his coaching role in the academy, in which he has plenty of young talent at his disposal.

The U18s were knocked out of the Youth Cup semi-finals by eventual winners Aston Villa last season. They have the talent to take it one step further, so here are five players spearheading their campaign.

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Chido Obi

Chido Obi dropped down to U18 level for the first time in 11 months when he started against Derby County in the FA Youth Cup last month. The Youth Cup is for players who are under the age of 18 on August 31 of the current campaign. Obi celebrated his 18th birthday in November, making him eligible.

Obi started for the U18s again in their Youth Cup win against Oxford on Wednesday, but he did not play for the U18s in their 'run of the mill' league fixture against Wolves this weekend.

The Youth Cup is the pinnacle of youth football, and playing Obi in the competition is a statement of intent from United. The youngster has scored two goals in two games so far.

Jim Thwaites

Jim Twaites has a name befitting of an English player in the 1950s, but he would be regarded as an extra-terrestrial if he played in that decade due to his incredible ball-striking technique.

Thwaites has already built a reputation as a dead-ball specialist. He has scored several excellent free-kicks during his time in the academy and added another to his highlight reel in the U18 Manchester derby last week.

The 18-year-old was absent in December and January due to injury and was a big miss in the early rounds of the Youth Cup. However, Thwaites is firing again and will be key in the competition.

JJ Gabriel

JJ Gabriel is just 15 years old, but he doesn't need any introduction. The supremely talented teenager is playing well above his age group and making light work of tearing apart United's opponents.

Gabriel has scored 16 goals in 20 academy games this season and has already trained with the first-team on a handful of occasions. The youngster was close to leaving United in the summer, but Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada were involved in an eleventh-hour meeting to keep him at the club.

Each of the United Youth Cup-winning teams has had a poster boy. Gabriel is this generation's star man. MUTV subscriptions are probably selling like hot cakes just so fans can watch him.

Godwill Kukonki

Godwill Kukonki has plenty of experience playing with the U21s and he is another who has dropped into the Youth Cup in a clear signal of intent. The defender has played at left-back and centre-back so far in the academy, but his long-term future is expected to lie in central defence.

Kukonki's presence is huge at the back and he will help to provide a solid defensive foundation in the competition. The 18-year-old is also excellent at playing out with the ball at his feet.

There have been early comparisons made between the exciting Kukonki and Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol and he is a rare option because he is a left-footed defender.

Kai Rooney

If Kai Rooney isn't involved much in the Youth Cup for the remainder of this season, the silver lining is that he will still be eligible for the competition for another two campaigns.

The 16-year-old made his debut in the competition against Derby at Old Trafford but was not included in the squad to face Oxford. Fletcher can call upon players who have plenty of U21 experience in the competition, so Rooney did well to make his debut in the Youth Cup just a month after turning 16.

Rooney is left-footed and drifts in from the right wing after his position switch, and he's been able to craft his finishing technique under the guidance of one of the best strikers the game has ever seen.

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