Welbeck

[Makemstine Roger]

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck will not rule out a return to Sunderland next season.

If it becomes apparent regular football is not on the agenda in pre-season, Wearside will be his first port of call.

Welbeck said: ”I really enjoyed it at Sunderland.

“My main aim was to go there and get minutes under my belt in the Premier League.

“I did that and was a bit unfortunate to get injured midway through the season.

“That kind of hampered my form a bit, but overall I was delighted with it.

“You learn massive amounts playing regular Premier League football. It is an experience you cannot gain from being at Manchester United on the bench like I was the season before.

“Once I went to Sunderland and had the taste of playing games week-in and week-out I was happy with that.

“I am young and looking to improve and hungry for success as well, so playing week in, week out in the Premier League, that is a top way to benefit me.”


It's kicking off again! Click here for your No1 source for Manchester United transfer market news and gossip.




MAY BE GOOD NEWS

 

[Makemstine Roger]

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck says he learned plenty working with Darren Bent last season while on-loan at Sunderland.

Welbeck played with Bent before his record January move to Aston Villa.

"Darren Bent was there at the start and then Asamoah Gyan came," said Welbeck.

"I learnt a lot from Darren in training as well every day. It was the same with Asamoah as well and I'll always take that into my learning process."

 

[Makemstine Roger]

Like many youngsters at Old Trafford, Welbeck has been forced to wait for his big break, spending the majority of his career out on loan.

But the 20-year-old will return to United after England's European Under 21 Championship campaign with an assurance he will be able to show how much he has improved.

Back in the fold: Welbeck is confident he can establish himself in the United XI
'The manager said I'll get decent opportunities and hopefully I'll take them and progress from there,' said Welbeck, who admitted he would be forced to consider moving on if he failed to make it into Ferguson's first-team plans.

'It gets to the stage where you have to decide on your future but I'm still only 20 and looking forward to my opportunity.'

Welbeck made his United debut two months short of his 18th birthday and scored on both his Premier League and FA Cup debuts. It got even better for him when he started the 2009 Carling Cup final win over Tottenham.

But that was arguably the peak of his Old Trafford career so far and he has not played for his parent club for almost a year and a half.
Instead, he has trodden the same path as many United hopefuls before him by attempting to prove himself while on loan. And he has largely done that, both at Preston and - last season - Sunderland.

'Going on loan really benefits you,' said Welbeck, who is set to lead the line again in England's must-win European Under-21 Championship clash with the Czech Republic tomorrow.

'You learn massive amounts. It's experience you can't gain from being at United on the bench. I was playing with top strikers. Darren Bent was there at the start and then Asamoah Gyan came.

'I learnt a lot from Darren in training as well every day. It was the same with Asamoah as well and I'll always take that into my learning process.'

That process continues in Denmark, where Welbeck's bid to impress Ferguson has yielded mixed fortunes.

He scored England's only goal of the tournament so far in their scrambled 1-1 draw with Spain but missed when clean through against Ukraine. But his big problem has been a lack of support from midfield, leaving him all too often isolated up front.

'The team's not really had great possession of the ball at times so I've not really got onto the ball as much as I'd like,' he said.

'We need to get on the ball a bit more, actually take control of the game and make them chase the ball more.'

Loan star: Welbeck netted six time while with Sunderland
Head coach Stuart Pearce revealed yesterday his players may have been paralysed by nerves in their opening two draws against Spain and Ukraine, but not Welbeck.

'I don't see any need to be nervous,' he said ahead of the final Group B match. It's different with every player but I go into every game like I'm playing at school, looking forward to getting on the pitch.'

England's performances have been frustrating for their fans and also Pearce, who has nevertheless managed to keep his own temper in check.

Welbeck said: 'I've not seen that side yet and don't plan on seeing it either. He's cool, calm and collected, lets you know his thoughts and he's really motivational, so you really know once his words are out of his mouth, it goes into your brain and stays there.'

Never more so than when Pearce hauled Welbeck off after introducing him as a substitute against Greece early in his under-21 career almost two years ago.

Pearce said: 'I spoke to him after the game and said that when you enter the pitch for England, you have to work harder than you did.

'He's rolled his sleeves up and his work rate is sensational and he's got goals. I know Fabio's a real big fan of his.'

Indeed senior boss Fabio Capello handed Welbeck his first cap in March's friendly against Ghana.

The striker's debut came after he snubbed the chance to represent England's opponents, who jeered him mercilessly when he came off the bench at Wembley.

'I even had a few cousins in the stands and they said they were booing!' Welbeck joked. 'It was fine. We all had a little laugh at the end of the game.

'I've still got aunties and uncles back in Ghana and they were all really happy for me having made my debut for England so it was all sweet