Young Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has been praised by manager Sir Alex Ferguson for making the decision to stick at the club for the foreseeable future, the midfielder signing a new four-year deal with the club earlier this week. Cleverley put pen to paper on Monday at Old Trafford, the news bringing some light relief to a man forced to sit out international duty with a foot injury.
After the news broke to the press and the waiting supporters, the Manchester United manager stated that the prospect of being able to call on the 22-year-old in the United midfield for at least the next four years makes his role as a football manager much easier and more satisfying. Ferguson revealed to the waiting press: "He has a good footballing brain which, coupled with his energy and ability, makes for a player with a fine future".
Although the player's future at the club now seems secure, you only need to rewind 12 months to see an entirely different scenario, with Cleverley's long-term future at United far from decided. In fact, Cleverley only made his competitive debut for the current Premier League champions in August during his team's 3-2 defeat of Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley. Since then, though, the midfielder has become one of the mainstays of a young United team, including the likes of Ashley Young, Nani, Wayne Rooney, and Phil Jones, that is truly threatening to run riot over the next ten years.
Furthermore, it would appear that the player's extensive background at all levels of English football has provided him with the ideal foundations upon which to build a long and successful career on the international stage. Cleverley learned his trade as a child in the United academy before being sent out on loan to Leicester City, Watford, and Wigan. Fabio Capello is just one of the men involved in the game who have clearly been impressed by his development, the England manager naming Cleverley in his squad to face the Netherlands back in August.
With England making sure of their place at next summer's European Championships after a 2-2 draw last Friday against Montenegro, Capello will surely use the friendly fixtures between now and then to allow Cleverley the chance to fit into a midfield likely to include a number of established names from the Premier League. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, for example, have been mainstays of the England midfield for many years, but United fans have no doubt in their minds that Capello will opt for a man who represents the technical skill and ambition of the future of the English game.
After the news broke to the press and the waiting supporters, the Manchester United manager stated that the prospect of being able to call on the 22-year-old in the United midfield for at least the next four years makes his role as a football manager much easier and more satisfying. Ferguson revealed to the waiting press: "He has a good footballing brain which, coupled with his energy and ability, makes for a player with a fine future".
Although the player's future at the club now seems secure, you only need to rewind 12 months to see an entirely different scenario, with Cleverley's long-term future at United far from decided. In fact, Cleverley only made his competitive debut for the current Premier League champions in August during his team's 3-2 defeat of Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley. Since then, though, the midfielder has become one of the mainstays of a young United team, including the likes of Ashley Young, Nani, Wayne Rooney, and Phil Jones, that is truly threatening to run riot over the next ten years.
Furthermore, it would appear that the player's extensive background at all levels of English football has provided him with the ideal foundations upon which to build a long and successful career on the international stage. Cleverley learned his trade as a child in the United academy before being sent out on loan to Leicester City, Watford, and Wigan. Fabio Capello is just one of the men involved in the game who have clearly been impressed by his development, the England manager naming Cleverley in his squad to face the Netherlands back in August.
With England making sure of their place at next summer's European Championships after a 2-2 draw last Friday against Montenegro, Capello will surely use the friendly fixtures between now and then to allow Cleverley the chance to fit into a midfield likely to include a number of established names from the Premier League. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, for example, have been mainstays of the England midfield for many years, but United fans have no doubt in their minds that Capello will opt for a man who represents the technical skill and ambition of the future of the English game.
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