Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says he'll always back his young players.

In Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, Ferguson has integrated a quartet of young English players to his squad this season that could provide a platform for United over the next decade.

It maintains a philosophy Matt Busby introduced to Old Trafford with his famous 'Babes' back in the 1950s and which Ferguson quickly recognised needed to be revived after he succeeded Ron Atkinson in 1986.

"I believe in young people," Ferguson told Sirius XM.

"You need a foundation at a football club and that is vital. You can build a first team, but you really do need the back-up and the foundation to make it a football club."