Sir Bobby Charlton:
'People find it hard to believe now, but at first the Busby Babes were laughed at.
'Football was a game for grown men, and a hard game, too. The pitches and the balls were much worse back then and the medical facilities were nothing like they are today. You had to be fully developed and physically strong to cope, and the idea that you could build a team around raw teenagers at the top level was completely revolutionary.
'Matt Busby thought it was a young man's game and went on to prove it. When United won the league with that team, it changed football forever. Sir Matt would be so proud if he could see what is happening today, with academies sprouting up everywhere and players like Wayne Rooney playing for England while in their teens.
'Matt would have loved Rooney. He is exactly what he had in mind. Yes, he gets into trouble sometimes, but only because he wants to win so much. He's a sensational player. Even I get excited every time he gets the ball, and that is what the game should be about.
'Alex Ferguson carried on Matt's commitment to youth, so the whole success of this club has been built around young players and I think what we did has led to other clubs investing in academies and youth programmes.'