Nicky Butt: 'I'd never have succeeded at Man Utd with the current Academy system'

Former Manchester United star Nicky Butt has told how he was scouted by the club and claims he "wouldn't have been the player he was" under the current Academy system.

Butt was a member of the acclaimed Class of 92, coming into the United first team alongside other youth products like David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville in a golden generation.

He tells how he was scouted by former player Brian Kidd and that there was less pressure on youngsters when he was trying to make it as a footballer.

"The good thing about the scouting department we had at United, it was five people, Kidd, Les Kershaw and one or two random people that you don’t really know but they have eyes on you. I think any kid that goes to a one-off trial, it's impossible," said Butt.

"Especially if you are a bit unassuming, like me. It’s difficult you realise that you are nowhere near the level. Some of the early developers looked like men, they’ve got a beard at 14. They batter you. I was like (shows his little finger), Scholesy was tiny but Kiddo wanted local lads above anybody, he was brilliant for us."

A key element to the scouting system under Kidd was that he would repeatedly watch a boy before deciding on them.

"He didn't just watch us once he'd watch his seven, eight times, so you'd be judged over maybe 10 or 12 games, and then you'd get brought in," Butt continued.

"And then when you've got an eye on you, with 16 players it’s a lot easier than to go on to a football pitch when, I'm not exaggerating when I say it, there must have been 200 kids there when I went to that first one.

"It's virtually impossible, unless you're Usain Bolt's running really strong and athletic you're not genuinely going to get picked.

"Scholesy is never going to get picked up at 12, with 200 people, because no one's looking at his technique, no one's looking at his brain, you're looking at someone who's going to run through six people, barge four out of the way and smash it in the top corner."

A the time players would continue to be in their school teams while they were progressing at United.

"So I was very fortunate with the scouting mechanism that we had around us to get there," said Butt. "And then we had to train on a Thursday night, one night a week, not like now, where they are three nights a week. I’d have got bored out of my head doing that.

"We'd go one night a week. You'd be there for an hour and you'd play on a Saturday. But you still go and play for your school team, you go and play for your club team, we had Boundary (Park, in Oldham).

"And you have all different ways of learning, so at school, Scholey was probably the same, I probably scored three or four goals, it was easy, it was by far the best place. So you're learning little things like individual skills, it was so easy.

"Then you go and play for Manchester Boys, which is a little level up again, but you're always still probably the best player there but you're learning different skills about playing team games.

"Then you got United, I swear, it's a totally different feeling. You've got Ryan Giggs, Wilson at the time, was there, You'd have Becks (Beckham) there, Scholesy there, Gary Neville there, Keith Gillespie, Ben Thornley, all top.

"You're thinking, I'm probably middle of the road here but you're learning all the ways. Now with Academy football and they're in three times a week, I'm not sure I would have been anywhere near the player that I was. I’d get bored of it. I got bored."