There are high hopes for young Manchester United midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe.
An integral part of last season FA Youth Cup winning team, the all action midfielder finds himself at London Road this season gaining first team experience under another Ferguson, Darren, in the hopes of better preparing himself to become a United star.
With 8 appearance for Peterborough so far, Tunnicliffe has impressed Posh fans and whilst he is focused on the job at hand with them he has one eye on returning to Old Trafford and what it will bring as he told ManUtd.Com,
“Paul Scholes was a genius, the best midfielder in the world ever.
“It’ll be good when I go back to have him around Carrington. I want him to teach me everything. He’s the master. Whatever he says goes as he knows exactly what he’s talking about.”
Keen to learn from an old master, Tunnicliffe’s style of play lends from a different style of player and when asked who his influences were this becomes more apparent even if shocking:
“I admired Roy Keane and, although he’s Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard.”
i wouldn’t say it’s shocking, as a player, gerrard is admirable, not so much a person
He is the reason we didn’t go and waste around £30-40 million on a central midfielder this summer like Sneijder. He is also the reason why we won’t go a spend money on a defensive midfielder. If we are patient, which we will be, in 12 months time we will have Ryan Tunnicliffe and Paul Pogba ready for first team duty. They will both be worth millions in 2-3 years. I love Tunnicliffe because he is an all round player, not just defensive minded like Mascherano or Makelele.
Tunnicliffe is now starting to play every week out on loan, after being introduced gradually. It wouldn’t surprise me if he continues his good form and Ferguson recalls him in January. If not to return to Man Utd, then possibly for a loan spell at a Premier League team. Either way I think the lad has a big future at Man Utd and can finally be that Roy Keane or Gerrard type midfielder we have lacked in recent years.
I agree with Tom, I think Ferguson might have held back from spending on a midfielder so that we don’t block Tunnicliffe and Pogba route to the first team. We haven’t had young quality midfielder’s like them since Scholes and Butt.
We saw with Ezekiel Fryers the quality we have coming through the system. Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck are now establishing there positions in the first team squad, and it would be great to see Tunnicliffe, Pogba and Fryers doing the same next season.