The FA’s new director of elite development Dan Ashworth has highlighted two Manchester United players as potential stars for the future.
In his list of 7 players, Ashworth named both Danny Welbeck and Wilfried Zaha as players that he feels will be the future of English football.
Welbeck has forced his way into Sir Alex Ferguson’s plans despite stiff competition from Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez & Robin Van Persie.
He has started in all of United’s blue ribbon games this term, including both legs of Manchester United’s CL 1st knockout stage tie with Real Madrid where he scored at the Bernabeu.
Zaha joins United this summer, after securing a £15m move to the club in January and has already earned an England call up following some impressive displays for Crystal Palace.
Aged just 20 the world is at his feet, and he is currently lighting up the international stage at u21 level.
Ashworth begun his job on March 4th and was quick to pinpoint the players he felt could take England forward in coming years and told BBC Sport:
“There are several players I can mention who are plying their trade at the top of the Championship or in the Premier League who will hopefully be the future of England football.
“Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck have got into Roy’s senior side early.
“Then we have players like Wilfried Zaha, Thomas Ince, Raheem Sterling and Luke Shaw – they could play at a lot younger age groups internationally and yet are in the U21s or in the seniors.”
RT @TheBusbyWay: Which United Pair Have Been Highlighted As The Future Of English Football?: The FA’s new directo… http://t.co/U2gReu …
RT @TheBusbyWay: Which United Pair Have Been Highlighted As The Future Of English Football?: The FA’s new directo… http://t.co/U2gReu …
I think ther are more than two.
I would say Smalling, Jones, Welbeck, Cleverley, Zaha. And Powell.
Especially Jones who I see as the future England captain.
They are just average at best. Future England, we’ll see then. In other football countries this ones would be allowed to develope without the media hyping them. But the british media are the best in such scenario. They may be united players, but i believe it will benefit these two gentlemen if their talents would be allowed to speak for them. Wilshere to me is more of a future ‘england’ than these two. He’s proven himself beyond reasonable doubt. Zaha we have not seen in a united shirt yet, but i have had enough of Welbeck. Two goal all season and very, i mean very very few assists. What kind a player is it who doesn’t score and doesn’t assist. Please don’t play the ‘out of position’ or ‘workrate’ thing as an excuse. Football is not a wrestling skills, ability and talent are what’s needed most in a footballer. Watch Barca team and you’ll reason with me that football is not all about strength or the Bilbao team that battered us, they weren’t just running like headless chickens they used skills. Welbeck is not united class and many others, we are just accepting mediocrity.
Fully agree with Albash, I am UTD and love the players we have but England always seem to cause hype around playersn when in other countries these players won’t even have the technical skills to make the cut in the first team. Yes these players go out and perform but they are not world beaters, not a Best or Ronaldo. So give it a break