Get the lowdown on the U’s next opponents: Manchester United

The Opposition

One of the most well renowned academies in the country will make the trip south to Sutton on Tuesday night, with Manchester United getting in the way of a prospective semi-final tie in the National League Cup for the U’s.

Headed up by manager Travis Binnion, United currently sit fourth in the Premier League 2, a competition they have won three times and previously came out victorious in back in 2016, with their last taste of silverware coming a year later in the SuperCupNI. They will now be looking to end that trophy drought, having been knocked out of the EFL Trophy in the group stage while sitting ten points behind league leaders Manchester City in their league campaign.

Nonetheless, United are a side that boast plenty of quality, including the likes of Harry Amass, Godwill Kukonki, Amir Ibragimov, Gabriele Biancheri, Jack Fletcher, Chido Obi-Martin, Finley McAllister, Shea Lacy, Bendito Mantato and Gibraltar international James Scanlon.

The young Red Devils topped their National League Cup group after narrowly beating Forest Green Rovers and Rochdale as well as dismantling Altrincham and Oldham Athletic in the group stage, and will be looking to get off to a positive start to the knockout round against Steve Morison’s side on Tuesday.

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The Manager

Travis Binnion

Former defender Travis Binnion has taken the reins of the Manchester United academy since 2021, having held alternative roles over the previous couple of years.

Coming through the ranks at Sheffield United, Binnion came back from a career threatening hip injury to break into the reserve team at Bramall Lane during the 2006/07 season, but departed the Blades in 2008. He was subsequently signed by Finish side IFK Mariehamn to further progress his career, but failed to find regular first team football and later retired from playing.

In attempt to still carve out a career in football, Binnion took up a coaching role at former club Sheffield United, and later replaced Nick Cox as Academy Manager in 2016 after he had moved to Manchester United. Binnion held this role for three years, but a 20-year spell in Sheffield came to an end when he followed Cox to Old Trafford in 2019, being appointed as Head of Player Development for the Under 14 to Under 16 phase, before becoming the Lead Coach for the Under-18 team in 2021.

He now oversees the development of every academy player aged 17-21, including those who go out on loan to other clubs, having become the lead coach of the Under-21s for the beginning of the 2023/24 season, coaching and managing the club’s youngsters on the final step of their development journey.

One to Watch

Chido Obi-Martin

Denmark-born forward Chido Obi-Martin has found himself in the spotlight in recent weeks, having made his senior debut for United as a late substitute in the Red Devils’ Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last week.

Hailing from Glostrup, Denmark, Obi-Martin began his career with local side Kjøbenhavns Boldklub as a child, before moving to England soon after and joining Arsenal’s academy at the age of 14. He quickly progressed through the club’s youth ranks and established himself as a prolific goalscorer, being promoted to the Under-18 side at the age of 15 before moving up to the Under-21’s a month later. He continued his meteoric rise at Arsenal towards the end of 2023, being called up by First Team manager Mikel Arteta to join the senior side for training, before making international headlines on by scoring ten goals in 14–3 win over Liverpool’s Under-16’s. This was followed by a further seven goals in the Gunners’ 9–0 win over Norwich City, taking his tally up to 24 goals in his previous seven games for Arsenal’s Under-18s.

Despite his outstanding form at youth level, Obi-Martin departed Hale End at the end of the season and moved to Manchester United at the end of September. He continued his form from his stint at Arsenal with a hat-trick on his first start for the Red Devils, contributing to a 6-0 win over Nottingham Forest’s Under-18’s.

His form culminated in a call-up to United’s First Team, and his made his professional debut at a 90th minute substitute when he replaced Casimiro last week away at Tottenham Hotspur.

Played for Both

D’Mani Mellor

A Manchester United academy product, D’Mani Mellor briefly had a loan spell at the VBS Community Stadium in an attempt to aid his development as a footballer following his departure from Old Trafford.

Having arrived at Carrington at the age of eight, Mellor went on to spend 14 years as a United player as he rose through the ranks before making his senior debut in a UEFA Europa League match against Astana towards the end of 2019, perhaps the pinnacle of his United career.

After missing the entirety of the 2020/21 season due to a serious knee injury, the forward made his comeback with a brief loan spell at Salford City in which he made three substitute appearances, before being recalled early from an injury-hit spell at the Peninsula Stadium.

He later departed the Red Devils permanently and made the switch to Wycombe Wanderers in 2022, going on to play 14 games for the Chairboys. A two-year spell in Buckinghamshire saw him spend time out on loan as well, with a stint back up north with Rochdale preceding a move to South London, with the forward joining Sutton at the start of the 2022/23 campaign under Matt Gray.

He went on to play eight times for the club before being recalled following the arrival of Steve Morison as Head Coach, and was subsequently sent back out on loan to Rochdale where he added a further nine appearances to his total of 28.

Upon returning to Wycombe from his loan spell, Mellor would be released and returned to the National League permanently with a move to Gateshead on a short-term deal. This moved last just a month though, with the 24-year old returning to Cheshire to join Northern Premier League side Macclesfield Town.