Manchester United vice-chairman Ed Woodward wants the club's B team to be included in the Football League.

Unlike Spain and Germany, top flight reserve teams in England do not play in the lower leagues but in separate reserve competitions.

Woodward told fanzine United We Stand that having B teams in the lower leagues would improve youth development.

"Barcelona and Real Madrid have a competitive advantage with their system [of B sides]. Ajax have got it. A team in the division below went bust a year ago. Ajax stepped in and now they are developing their players that way," he said.

The issue of B teams playing within the football pyramid has also been raised in the League of Ireland with Shamrock Rovers potentially fielding a team in the First Division.