José Mourinho has reassured Manchester United supporters that the younger players at the club have a future, after allowing Adnan Januzaj to join Sunderland on loan and selling Paddy McNair to the same club.

United have tended to pride themselves on the production and development of young players. Pictures of some of their notable successes adorn the training ground walls.

Though Mourinho has taken slight issue with United’s supposed reputation as cavalier entertainers committed to attacking football – “I would say under Ferguson they played winning football, there were times against my teams when they hardly crossed the halfway line” – he knows better than to underestimate a club tradition that has a firmer foundation in truth.

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The United manager justified the Januzaj decision on the basis that at least under David Moyes he is likely to get games and his progress can be monitored, whereas that did not turn out to be the case when on loan at Borussia Dortmund last season. “We cannot be selfish,” Mourinho said. “We think Adnan is a talented player but he needs games for his development. Hopefully everything will work out for him this season because we want him back. ”

The same principle of needing more games applied to McNair, though in his case it was a conclusion arrived at by the player himself. “I didn’t want him to leave but he wanted to go and make a fresh start,” Mourinho said.

“He didn’t want a loan, he didn’t want to go away and feel like a hostage of the club’s desire to bring him back. The kid came here at nine or 10 years old and we all decided that if this is what he wants he deserves our help, but I didn’t want him to go as I still think he is a good player.”

There are no plans presently to send Memphis Depay out on loan, though as with Marcus Rashford, first-team chances are bound to be more limited than last season with the arrivals of Paul Pogba (suspended for Sunday’s game at Bournemouth), Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“Depay is very much part of my squad,” Mourinho said. “I know you look at the last match and he was not even on the bench but in September we have the EFL Cup, Europa League and Premier League, so that will be the end of the frustration for the players not being selected at the moment. I was impressed with Depay at the last World Cup and that was two years ago when he was a very young kid.

“I watched him many times at PSV, and having that player in mind, I want to keep him. Especially as I see a good boy, a good professional. You can see him driving a nice car and think his mind is not on football but that is not the case. I don’t care what people think, I believe in him. He is frustrated with what happened last season when he lost all his confidence but he will be back.”

Rashford, too, will have to be patient and await his chance, despite having broken through to the extent of playing for England last season, though the striker is only 18 and arguably ahead of schedule. “I see why English football has such high hopes for him, I like him a lot,” Mourinho said.

“He’s very good but he is still a young boy with a lot to learn. At his age he can have ups and downs, and you have to be ready to support him if that is the case. Potentially he’s a very good player indeed and he is already a good professional. The way he works and the way he lives, it is all good.

“Whether he remains in the England squad is up to Big Sam [Allardyce] now, it is not my decision, but I can say he is one of my important players and he will play a lot this season. After that Sam will make up his own mind.”