I left Man United because I was being played out of position - now I'm scoring goals for fun
September 23, 2008, is a date that Danny Welbeck is unlikely to ever forget. At the age of 19-years-old, Sir Alex Ferguson invited him to pull on a Manchester United shirt for the very first time and make his senior debut.
Welbeck was handed a start for the visit of Middlesbrough in the third round of the League Cup at Old Trafford and he was deployed up front alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, helping United win 3-1.
That evening, which saw Welbeck play 90 minutes, was the first of 142 appearances the former England international made in United colours. Born in Longsight, Welbeck lived every young United supporter's dream.
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Although the now-33-year-old was never a prolific source of goals during his time at United, scoring 29, his Old Trafford career saw him win six major trophies, including one Premier League title. Of the 142 appearances Welbeck made, 103 of them were under Ferguson. The legendary Scot's retirement at the end of the 2013/13 season was the beginning of the end for Welbeck at Old Trafford.
He made 33 appearances the following campaign under David Moyes, scoring 10 goals, but played just three times under Louis van Gaal at the start of the 2014/15 season, convincing him the time was right to leave his comfort zone and adopt a new challenge.
Arsenal came calling, swooping for him on the final day of the 2014 summer transfer window in a £16million deal. The striker had been with United since the age of eight, meaning his decision to fly the nest and move to the capital was a big step both personally and professionally, but it was a