Danny Welbeck names the player in Manchester United training who was ‘ten steps ahead’

Danny Welbeck is having a very strong season for Brighton after shooting onto the scene way back in 2008 as a teenager.

Sir Alex Ferguson was a genius at unearthing the best talents from the academy and during their dominance Welbeck came onto the scene.

The versatile forward scored a stunning long-range effort during Manchester United’s thumping win over Stoke City and a star was born.

Welbeck proceeded to represent his boyhood club 142 times in all competitions and he will feel it probably should have been a lot more.

Whilst a spell at Arsenal also followed for Welbeck, unfortunately for him, injuries continued to pull back a career that was showing so much promise.

The 33-year-old shared that he has been ‘unfortunate’ with his long-term injuries, but a lot of things are now starting to change towards the latter end of his career.

Tottenham capitulated at the hands of Brighton on Sunday, with the London club leading 2-0, but still going on to lose the game. 

Welbeck got the better of World Cup winner Cristian Romero to score his fourth Premier League goal of the season.

What’s even crazier is that the player himself is younger than Brighton’s 31-year-old manager Fabian Hürzeler.

Post-match, Welbeck spoke to Paul Scholes about how he, the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, to name a few, were ‘great role models’ for him, as he told Premier League Productions (06/10/24 at 6:45 pm).

It must have been pretty special for the two-time Premier League winner to come in and train alongside such legendary figures.

But Welbeck has shared that he is taking inspiration from Scholes himself because in training he used to be ‘ten steps ahead’, and now he can see how and why.

Paul Scholes in Manchester United training

“I have been unfortunate, a lot of them have been long-term injuries and a lot of them have been from knocks and stuff like that,” Welbeck told Scholes after helping Brighton beat Tottenham. “I have really looked after myself towards the latter years of my career.

“I had great role models growing up at Man United, seeing you (Scholes), Giggsy. Pat (Evra), Rio (Ferdinand), Wazza (Rooney), everyone. I kept a close eye on yous. I probably watched you when I shouldn’t have been. I was watching everything and you always take everything in.

“I was thinking it about the other day, Scholey, when I was training with you, this guy is always ten steps ahead. I am thinking ‘how is he ten steps ahead at this age?’ Now I am at this age, it’s just about that repetition and being in so many situations so many times.”

Paul Scholes one of the Premier League greats

Kevin de Bruyne is wowing the world with his magic now, but many will argue that Scholes was better than the Manchester City star.

From a box-to-box midfielder in his youth, where he would also score goals for fun in the middle of the park, to sitting back and playing like an NFL quarterback as his career entered its twilight years.

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Not many, if anyone, can argue that they passed the ball better than Scholes because his vision and accrcury was beyond scary.

There is a reason why he was one of the stars from the class of 92, he won the Treble and he has two European Cups to his name.