ANGEL GOMES has hailed Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd kit policy that keeps young stars grounded.
Gomes, 24, is closing on a free transfer switch to Marseille from Lille, but holds his Carrington routes close to his heart.
GettyAngel Gomes is closing in on a move to Marseille from Lille[/caption]
Sir Alex Ferguson implemented a series of rules that are still in place even now at Old TraffordGetty Images – Getty
Fergie famously BANNED academy players from wearing anything other than old-school black boots while representing the club, and the policy remains in place even now.
Gomes told the BBC that Fergie’s ruling was “perfect”, and instilled a sense of togetherness across the junior teams.
He said: “You would play against other teams and they’d be wearing colourful boots that you wanted to wear, because your idols wore colourful boots.
“But thinking about it now, it was perfect because they wanted everyone to be the same.”
The Man Utd way is drilled into players from the day they enter the building, with players told to earn the right to wear flashy boots once they make it into the first-team.
Speaking to The Sun back in 2019, then-Man Utd star Scott McTominay said: “I probably couldn’t tell you one player in the club who likes wearing black boots.
“But it was the rules and something accustomed to every academy player and if someone tried to come out in red boots it’s like ‘you’re no different to any of us so get your black boots back on until you earn the respect and right to wear coloured boots’.
“I didn’t like the black boots. But you had to do it. You had to respect the rules.
“There are no big egos, there’s no young kids coming in wearing jewellery and looking a bit flash, that’s not the case at this club.”
He added: “Whenever we were growing up here, the main thing that was being spoken about here was being a good person first and foremost.
“You don’t realise at the time how much little things like that at the time are going to help you.”
McTominay and Gomes both came through the Carrington ranks alongside Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams.
Reflecting on his time at Old Trafford, Gomes admitted that the famous red shirt can weigh heavy on Man Utd players, with countless players thriving upon being freed of it.
He said: “Players may have been intimidated or not really know about the weight, what it carries and what it takes.
“But ultimately, sometimes, it’s down to environment, timing and having the right things in place to help you.
“Some players who have left and gone on to do better than when they were at United, there might be things in place at that certain club, at that moment in time, that helped them succeed.
“Sometimes it’s not as black and white as they failed or they’ve not held their own there because of the weight of the shirt.”
Gomes has found his feet away from the spotlight of the Premier League, and earned his first call-up to the England squad at the beginning of the 2024/25 season.
He admitted the “difficult” decision to leave Old Trafford has ultimately paid off: “There are a lot of things that pull you towards staying.
“But then you have to think about what is right for your career. There were a lot of things I sacrificed.”
PAAngel Gomes notably wearing black boots while playing for Man Utd[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
