Danny Welbeck reveals what is behind prolific comeback & responds to Man Utd links | OneFootball

Danny Welbeck has revealed that a combination of experience, a different role, and "proper grafting" are behind the veteran forward playing the best football of his career at the age of 33.

Welbeck was billed as a teenage prodigy when he emerged from the Manchester United academy at 17, becoming a regular under Sir Alex Ferguson before turning 21. A move to Arsenal in 2014 came as a shock, followed by a nightmarish few years of injuries that carried into a season at Watford.

The former England star has enjoyed a new lease of life since joining Brighton in 2020, and 11 months into 2024, it has so far been an injury-free year for him. Lining up as a 'number nine' for the Seagulls has seen Welbeck start 2024/25 with six Premier League goals in nine games, already better than his 2023/24 league tally and equal to those of 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23.

Welbeck never scored more than five Premier League goals in any of his five seasons for Arsenal, although he may have done but for the injuries, while his best-ever league tally remains the nine for Manchester United in his breakout 2011/12 campaign more than a decade ago. Double figures (and then some) for the first time in his Premier League career looks eminently achievable.

Welbeck has explained to The Times it has a lot do with how his role has changed.

"It's a new manager, different ideas and maybe this season I've been getting into a lot more dangerous positions and the ball is being put in nice positions for me by my teammates, and I've been putting them away," he said, reeling off several important factors.

Welbeck will turn 34 later this month / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Experience is a big part of it too, knowing things at 33 that he didn't in his twenties.

"You do learn things over the years as a striker," he added. "When I was younger, watching the older players at United you always thought they're, like, a step ahead. Then you gain that experience, the repetition of being in those positions so many times, seeing so often how somebody is going to close you down, or how a ball might be bobbling…you almost like know you've played certain situations before. I used to look at the older players and say, 'How did they do that?'...now I see it clearly."

Hard work also deserves a mention. By Welbeck's own admission, he was "proper grafting" during the summer, working on his fitness even on a daily basis on family holidays.

Some might consider Welbeck unfortunate not to have been on Lee Carsley's call list ahead of this international break, either in the original squad or when eight players dropped out. Manchester United also took notice of his sustained fitness, even before the goals this season started flowing, reportedly considering an approach to take him to Old Trafford in the summer.

Welbeck called the United rumours "speculation" and said it is to be expected given his connection.

"I'm just focusing on what I can control myself and all the other stuff is pretty irrelevant," he said.