Last week, Sir Alex Ferguson singled out Ryan Tunnicliffe, Paul Pogba and Will Keane as youngsters at United who had the potential to make it in the first team.

Paul Scholes, who has been working with our youngsters in his new coaching role, has supported the manager’s assessment, as well as praising Larnell Cole, who made his début against Leeds in the League Cup last week.

“Three excellent players who you’d hope will get a chance in the first team,” he said. “Tunnicliffe’s gone down to Peterborough and has done OK down there. Pogba has got amazing talent. He’s such a big lad for his age. The physique he’s got is unbelievable. I think Will Keane has the capability to be a top-class centre-forward. He’s one of the lads I’ve been working with. He was always someone I liked when I was watching the youth teams. He’s just got a presence about him, he’s a strong lad and has great feet – the ability to strike a ball. The kind of things Van Nistelrooy had. The first time I saw him I thought ‘Jesus Christ’ because he was smashing balls in from anywhere. Keane has the potential to do that. Any others? Larnell Cole. He looks a great prospect. He’s very small but he’s a very clever footballer. He’s similar to Shaun Wright-Phillips but a player who can play inside a bit better than Shaun. Shaun’s an out and out wide man but Larnell can play in a three in midfield.”