Thursday 3 March 2016 09:42, UK
Manchester United's younger players are rejuvenating fans as they chase a top four spot in the Premier League, says David Prutton.
United won their fourth straight game, beating Watford 1-0 on Wednesday night, with their starting XI averaging just 23 years and 222 days.
Marcus Rashford, Joe Riley, Reegan Poole, James Weir and Tim Fosu-Mensah have all made their debuts in the past four games, with Louis van Gaal's side injury-plagued going into the final quarter of the season.
Prutton told Sky Sports: "It's a good reflection on the youth policy, and you would like to think it rejuvenates the fans moving forward to think the future is rosy.
"I would think Louis van Gaal's hand has probably been forced, he had £150m worth of talent injured and not available to play, he's got to play somebody.
"But Marcus Rashford has been a breath of fresh air, and there's no pressure on the young kids there.
"They may be compared to some of the United kids who have come through before, who are decorated, successful footballers, but at this moment in time there isn't much pressure on them."
Van Gaal has come in for criticism in recent months, but Prutton says blooding the youngsters through could turn out to be the Dutchman's biggest impact at Old Trafford.
"Why not blood the kids through? They get to know the atmosphere at Old Trafford, they get to know what it's like to play in proper games for United, and it bloods them for the future," Prutton said.
"He could do a lot worse than blood the youngsters through, and then you've got that wonderful feeling in two or three years time where he can sit back and say: 'Well, I brought them all through in the first place, and look how good they are now.'"
