Duo Out To Impress Sir Alex

ManUtd.com's Nick Coppack sat down with young guns Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck in Seattle to discuss their first-team prospects this year...

How did last season go for you? You both had successful loan spells...
Tom Cleverley: It's good experience for us both. It was very good as we must have played the best part of 60 games between us and scored 10 goals between us as well, so it was an interesting season. It'll definitely help us going into this year.

How different is it being out on loan compared to being at United?
Danny Welbeck: Last season, if we'd stayed at United, I don't think we'd have had as many appearances as we'd have liked. We went to Sunderland and Wigan and fought our way into the team and, overall, it was a good season for us both.

When you're a young player breaking through, is securing a loan spell seen as a positive? Is there a realisation at that stage of your career that you have to leave Manchester United temporarily to progress?
TC: Definitely. It's a big conveyor belt now and every young player at a top-four club has got to go through it. You've got to be a special talent to walk straight into the first-team. Just look at Jack Wilshere: even he did his time out on loan and that's just the basic progression.

How much did you enjoy the Under-21 European Championship and how much did you learn from it?
DW: Obviously it was a good tournament to go to for experience but I think the way we performed as a team, everyone was a bit disappointed with that. We've seen the quality we can produce in training and it really didn't come out on the pitch. Everyone is a bit gutted by that. I think we've got to take a new mentality to these tournaments, just go out and be creative and just play our normal game. That's probably how we're going to beat these teams.

You're both knocking on the door of the first-team. Do you want to stay here this season or go out on loan again?
TC: Me, personally, I've been out on loan for the past two seasons and want to stay and impress the manager, train hard and hopefully get a fair share of a few games.
DW: Yeah, definitely. You see the loan system as a stepping stone so obviously you use that and try to get to the next level. But ultimately I want to be a Manchester United player.

So, do you feel like you belong at the top level now?
TC: It's a massive test, playing in the best league in the world. I suppose, sometimes as a young player, you might think: 'Can I make it? Can I play at that level?' I think we both did pretty well last season and proved we can handle it, so we've got to take confidence from that and try and progress again this year.

The tour matches, although only pre-season friendlies, give the younger players the chance to impress the manager, don't they?
DW: Yeah, you're just trying to get your fitness up and get back up to match speed. I think once you get into the games, you're not going to take it as a friendly and you'll give it your all, hopefully impress the manager and then see what happens from there.

When United won the league at Blackburn where did you watch it and how did you celebrate?
TC: I can't remember but I think we might have played on Sunday and United won the league on the Saturday. I was at home with one of my mates watching it.
DW: I was watching it with a few of the Sunderland boys and obviously I was cheering my head off when we got the penalty and put it away.

A few of the older heads have left the club since this time last season. It's a younger squad now: is that a worry?
DW: Everyone here is young and hungry. We're always looking for success and to improve as well, so I don't think there's going to be a downfall. Everyone's got the same mentality. We'll get together as a group, push forward and hopefully win more trophies.
TC: Definitely, we've got some great, young players but have still got experience. The likes of Giggsy, Rio, Vida and Park have been involved in three Champions League finals in the last four years, so we're not lacking experience.