
Share
15th February 2016
04:46pm GMT

Yet still, for many of those that watched him rise through the ranks at United, Danny Welbeck is beyond hate. Even after his FA Cup goal, the majority of those inside Old Trafford that night applauded him warmly as he was substituted.
Make no mistake about it, Welbeck fluffed his lines on more than enough occasions to show that he wouldn't be quite as prolific in front of goals as some of his youth appearances might have suggested - the time he tried to chip Manuel Neuer being one particularly memorable example if this.
https://twitter.com/BolaAnt/status/539503884210032640
After stories surfaced that Welbeck wanted to leave Old Trafford at the end of the 2013/14 season, a newly-appointed Louis van Gaal decided that such a scoring record meant that he was only good enough for the United bench. Welbeck headed towards the Old Trafford exit.
A terrible season under Moyes had seen United's board wake up to the fact that the squad needed to add some star quality to its ranks. They addressed this by splashing out on Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao. But for all the excitement that such marquee signings might have generated - allowing the departure of one of the club's most notable academy graduates of recent years was an unpopular one.
Regardless of how questionable his finishing was from time to time, for United fans - especially those from the Manchester area - Longsight-born Welbeck was living a dream. For all of their club's global scouting networks, here was a local lad who had grown up a United supporter, working his way into their team. Although he might not have been the finest striker the club had ever seen, he was one of their own.
The sight of Welbeck scoring a crucial goal in a title race which his former club are no longer part of will be another bitter pill to swallow for some of those that willed him to succeed in Manchester.
At least they appear happy enough to see him making a mark in London.Explore more on these topics: