Manchester United youngsters who left Old Trafford too early

Adnan Januzaj is congratulated by Robin Van Persie and Michael Carrick after victory in the Barclays Premier League match between Sunderland and Manchester United at Stadium of Light on October 5, 2013 in Sunderland, England. (Getty Images)

18-year-old Adnan Januzaj stole the show on his full debut by scoring a brilliant brace, as Manchester United came from behind to record their first win in three weeks at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland over the weekend.

The Belgian-born youngster, who moved to Old Trafford from Anderlecht in 2011, is in the final year of his contract and the likes of Juventus, Barcelona and cross-town rivals Manchester City have been monitoring the situation closely.

For whatever reason, if Januzaj does choose to reject United’s overtures, it wouldn’t be the first time that the club would lose out on a promising talent.

Below is a list of players who left the Trafford Training Centre a tad bit earlier than expected:

Ravel Morrison charges upfield during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at White Hart Lane on October 6, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)

Honourable Mentions: Robbie Brady (Hull City) and Ravel Morrison (West Ham United)

It is a good time to be a Manchester United academy graduate as most clubs around England seem to be thriving on their products.

Take Hull City’s Robbie Brady for instance. The Irishman is the Tigers’ top-scorer this season with four goals in all competitions.

The 21-year-old is out with a hernia problem at the moment but if he were to continue his goal-scoring form upon his return, he could be crucial to his side’s hopes for top-flight survival.

Another youngster who has grabbed the headlines in recent weeks is bad-boy Ravel Morrison.

The 20-year old scored a superb goal in the Hammers’ away win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, that manager Sam Allardyce described as “a bit of genius”.

Morrison, who has had his brief career disrupted by off-field controversies, was even called up to the England U-21 squad for the first time this week.

With David Moyes’ men struggling in midfield, they looked to Januzaj for spark; something Morrison could have also provided had he not got on the wrong side of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Magnus Wolff Eikrem during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Roda JC Kerkrade and Heerenveen at the Parkstad Limburg on September 21, 2013 in Kerkrade, The Netherlands. (Getty Images)

Magnus Wolff Eikrem (Heerenveen)

The Norwegian, who joined United on his 16^th birthday, rejoined Molde – now managed by Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – without even making his competitive debut.

Having left Old Trafford for regular first-team opportunities, Magnus Eikrem was a vital cog in the club’s engine room and helped them to two consecutive Tippeligaen titles in 2011 and 2012.

The 23-year-old joined Dutch side Heerenveen on a four-year deal earlier this year, and has already scored twice in seven appearances.

Ryan Shawcross celebrates scoring with Robert Huth and Jonathan Walters during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Crystal Palace at Britannia Stadium on August 24, 2013 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Getty Images)

Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City)

Publicly criticised for his tackle that led to Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey’s double-leg break in 2010, Ryan Shawcross has come a long way, so much so that he has even been linked with a return to Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old, who initially joined Stoke on a loan deal in 2007, has since become the club captain and formed one of the most miserly defences in the league with Robert Huth.

The centre-back’s rock-solid displays in defence for the Potters have earned him rare reviews and it is a surprise he didn’t stick around to challenge Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic like Jonny Evans has.

Giuseppe Rossi celebrates a goal during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on September 1, 2013 in Genoa, Italy. (Getty Images)

Giuseppe Rossi (Fiorentina)

The diminutive attacker arrived in Manchester at a 17-year-old after United bought his contract for Parma. Having struggled to hold down a regular starting place, the Italian was shipped out to first to Newcastle United and then his previous employers.

But it was when Giuseppe Rossi moved to Spain, that he began to realise his potential. The versatile striker managed 54 goals in 136 games for Villareal before his time in the yellow jersey was disrupted by serious knee injuries.

The 26-year-old joined Fiorentina in January of this year and has already scored six times in nine games this season.

Neymar (R) celebrates with his team-mate Gerard Pique after scoring during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Valladolid CF at Camp Nou on October 5, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. (Getty Images)

Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

Shawcross isn’t even one of the best defenders to leave United for greener pastures.

At a time when Ferguson had a colossal centre-back paring for Ferdinand and Vidic, waiting in the wings were not only the Stoke captain and Evans, but Gerard Pique.

Having made just a dozen appearances in four years, a homesick Pique returned home to Barcelona for a measly £5m in 2008.

Today the 26-year-old, who played an integral role in the Spain team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, is one of the best centre-backs in the game.

Paul Pogba (R) celebrates with team-mates after scoring during the Serie A match Torino vs Juventus at the Olimpico stadium on September 29, 2013 in Turin. (Getty Images)

Paul Pogba (Juventus)

This one still gives fans nightmares and one that will come back to haunt United, no doubt.

To say Ferguson underestimated Paul Pogba’s immense potential would be a gross understatement.

The Frenchman has enjoyed tremendous success with Juventus and scored five times last season as Juventus romped to the Scudetto. The 20-year-old has already scored two this season.

Likened to France and Arsenal legend Patrick Viera, Pogba is what United’s midfield is missing: bite. The English champions have never truly replaced Roy Keane, and they lost the one real chance they had.