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The success of an academy is not always measured by the players who go on to play for the first team of that club.
More often, it’s about the ability of the academy to produce just elite footballers, regardless of the level they’re playing at.
In Teden Mengi, United academy has a bonafide success story, to the extent that they would be wary of him when they travel to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton Town on Sunday.
Even when he was at United, Mengi was tipped as someone who would go on to play for the United first team.
He was a natural-born leader and with his combination of pace and physicality, had the attributes required to make it under the bright lights of Old Trafford.
Mengi’s story is that of persistence and desire to remain at the top level, one which many current youngsters can take inspiration from.
He was in a uniquely unfortunate position where he was sent on loan to the Championship twice but somehow, as fate would have it, couldn’t impress due to big injuries at both spells.
Where other clubs saw an injury-prone player who didn’t stand out in the second division, Luton saw a distressed asset with loads of potential.
Cue 22 appearances in all competitions later, and the improvement has been so quick that every Luton fan was praying he can shake off a niggle to face his old team.
Mengi is already being linked to teams like Fulham and Crystal Palace and his ascent in the English game has been nothing short of unbelievable.
He is standing out as the leader of a Luton Town team playing at this level for the first time, all at the age of just 21.
Stats like being in the 99th percentile of making interceptions among defenders in top-five leagues of Europe show a defender for whom his physicality is a bonus, not a necessity.
Ultimately, when United travel to Kenilworth Road in a potential banana skin fixture against Luton, it would be a monster they created who will be the biggest roadblock on their way to victory.
Who knows, time might even come full circle and Mengi is wearing the red jersey again, the one which he swapped for Luton at the start of the 2023/24 season!
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