Tom Cleverley from Bradford, West Yorkshire,
to Manchester. His talent took him to the
club in the first place, but he stood out among
his peers and was playing a year above his
normal age group. Coaches were stunned
when they saw him score two goals in one
game, both top-corner curlers from the edge
of the box: one left foot, one right. He was 11.
A regular goalscorer, Greenwood always
wanted the ball. Coaches tried hard to get
him grafting more when his side didn’t have
possession, but hoped that side of his game
would come as he matured. One substituted
him for not working hard enough at U15s
level – the first time Greenwood had been
taken off. He soon got the message.
As a youngster, he attended Ashton on
Mersey School, with whom United have
a partnership. He wasn’t allowed to play in
the school team, but even the headmaster
was astonished by his skills in the playground.
Other boys tried – and failed – to copy him.
Greenwood’s body language always used
to suggest that he wasn’t interested ortaking in information – yet in actual fact, the
complete opposite was true. He absorbed
every detail, especially when he sat with his
coaches one-on-one. They realised he was
alert, and like the best players, taking it all in.
It wasn’t always easy. Clubs such as United
need to develop complete footballers, so they
field players in different positions to gain an
understanding of other perspectives. They
push the importance of education; of the
whole development process. At every stage,
United told Mason and his family to trust
them, even though he was gaining attention
and serious financial offers from rivals.
To their credit, they did. Greenwood doesn’t
have an agent – his dad Andrew had several
approaches, including from Juventus, who
offered his son life-changing amounts of
money. United told the family to stay patient,
stressing they had a manager who’d give
youngsters a chance in the first team. They
were right, too: how many lads fresh out of
their teens are regulars for major clubs?
As a youngster, Greenwood played all over
Europe. He travelled to a big tournament
in Marveld, the Netherlands, with boys two
years older. He went to a five-a-side event
in Friedrichshafen, Germany – a tournament
considered the best in Europe. He also took
part in the Mercedes-Benz six-a-side – all
before he’d started as a full-time footballer
aged 16.
Greenwood had already experienced much
triumph and adversity – he also featured in
a famous U15s game where Manchester City
beat United 9-0. Anthony Elanga and Teden
Mengi also played before rising to United’s
first team, struggling against a City side that
had been compiled for £4m.“MASOn IS THE BEST KID
I’VE SEEn SInCE GIGGSY.
HE’S GOT BALAnCE, PACE
AnD A GOOD PHYSIQUE –
HE’LL GET STROnGER TOO”
FourFourTwo December 2021 4922 FOR
2022