Danny Welbeck: A superstar in the making

ON A HIGH: Welbeck has the potential to become a Manchester United great

15^th of November 2008, a young striker who has just made his first team debut receives the ball from one of his Manchester United team mates. In spite of being 30 yards away from the goal post this 17-year-old decides to take his chances and gives the ball a hard kick. The ball goes straight into the far right side of the net and the rest is history. Danny Welbeck’s goal must have certainly been Sir Alex Ferguson’s favorite in the 5-0 thumping of Stoke City.

Welbeck proved that he was not a one time wonder with goals against Southampton and Derby County. In 2010 he was loaned out to Sunderland where he scored 6 goals during his one year spell and greatly matured as a player. The 22-year-old has been phenomenal for his country scoring 8 goals in 20 starts and is one of Roy Hodgson’s key players.

The 2011-2012 season was a very special one for Danny Welbeck where he scored 12 goals and formed an enviable partnership with Wayne Rooney leading the Manchester United charge in almost every game. The Manchester born lad scored important goals against Tottenham and Arsenal and was shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of The Year award which was eventually won by Kyle Walker of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Old Trafford faithful have always had a special place in their hearts for Welbeck, who is a local Longsight boy, and are impressed by his humble attitude. Welbeck has an everlasting love for United and had stated when he signed a new contract that playing for the Red Devils was all he ever wanted to do.

The striker performed extremely well in the Euro 2012 the best performance being against Sweden where he scored an incredible backheeled goal. 2012 also saw Robin Van Persie come to Manchester United which greatly limited Welbeck’s chances upfront and he only managed to score 2 goals last season. In spite of that he had an amazing work ethic and never once complained about his lack of playing time.

Welbeck silenced all his doubters when he scored an amazing goal against Real Madrid in the 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu and earned critical acclaim for his pace against the Madrid defense. The performance against Madrid was important as everyone knew that they could now rely on Welbeck during big games. I personally feel that Real Madrid failed to keep the lanky striker in shackles. The only reason Welbeck didn’t score more goals is because he was played out of position.

The ongoing 2013-2014 season has started on a high for Welbeck under Sir Alex’s successor David Moyes. The forward has managed to score 6 goals so far this season, including an incredible brace against Swansea in the start of the campaign. David Moyes has put his faith in Welbeck and has backed him to becoming a top scorer in the future.

Welbeck will certainly score more goals than Daniel Sturridge once he is given a proper strikers role. The forward will certainly play a big part in next years World Cup in Brazil and it will be no surprise to see him on the score sheet in Samba land. Welbeck is certainly one to watch out for as he has a lot more to offer in a Manchester United shirt.