Phil Neville has urged former club Manchester United to target "good, young, hungry players" rather than looking to bring in "galacticos".

United have splashed out on a number of high-profile players who have failed to live up to their price tag in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, including the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria and current record buy Paul Pogba.

However, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer they have tended to favour bringing in younger British talent - albeit still in expensive deals - and Neville, who came through the ranks at Old Trafford himself, believes that his former teammate has got the club back on the right track.

"I love what's going on. I know there was a little bit of negativity and stuff, but I remember watching a game – I think it was Aston Villa, 2-2 – and I came away and I just saw a different type of football. Faster, more energy, and more forward-thinking. It was actually good to watch. I spoke to Ole – I drop him a text every now and then – just 'Keep going, I think the fans are actually liking what they're seeing'," Neville told United's official website.

"Regardless of Ole being a legend of the club, the signings in the summer were young, adventurous, they gave the club a little bit of energy, and I think you can see the direction now that the club is going in. I think we've not had that now for probably two or three years. He's going to get time; he's blooding all these young players.

"When I speak to United supporters outside the ground, I can see a genuine energy and a genuine feeling that regardless of the results or where we are in the table, I think they can see the pathway and the journey that we're going now. It's what we want to see as a Man United supporter, and we're all Man United fans.

"I think we have to go away from the fact from signing these big galacticos and all that, and just sign good, young, hungry players that are going to come in and make this club better. You can't change the philosophy or the history of the club. The whole club's been successful in buying good, young, hungry players or producing good, young, hungry players.

"You look at Brandon [Williams] and Mason [Greenwood] that have come in this season... Jimmy Garner, who's probably close. You've got so many young players coming through, and we've got a manager who wants to put them in and build teams round them.

"You go back to Busby, you go back to all the great managers, and that's what they've done. It's not rocket science, and probably we went away from that with the previous two managers that we had."

United have named the youngest starting lineup in the Premier League this season, with November's 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion containing seven players aged 23 or younger.