Ashley Fletcher is the latest Manchester United youth product to leave his mark on the game, but he has had to leave the club to do so.
The 21-year-old broke through last season during a loan spell with Barnsley,
scoring in the League One playoff final and finding the net nine times in total for the Yorkshire club.
But that wasn't enough to keep him in Manchester, with West Ham
swooping to bring the striker south over the summer.
Fletcher made his second Hammers start at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup quarter-final, and followed the unwritten rules of football narrative to score against his former employers.
https://twitter.com/SkyFootball/status/804062064327081984
Fletcher's decision to trade one United for another may have been influenced by the rise of another young striker at Old Trafford.
The Keighley-born forward was ahead of Marcus Rashford in the youth set-up, but was out on loan when injuries presented the younger player with a first-team opportunity in last season's Europa League.
Did Manchester United let the wrong man go? Probably not, and we doubt they'll care after a 4-1 victory, but that didn't stop the comparisons.
https://twitter.com/_CarltonCole9/status/804061426600046592
https://twitter.com/djuaicgknan/status/804064821696151560
https://twitter.com/DanLennonSmith/status/804063298333396992
https://twitter.com/cameronbalding/status/804062481358393344
https://twitter.com/AronCooperWhite/status/804062027840978944
https://twitter.com/Wadey313/status/804061874375557120
Still, at least it meant no one was talking about David De Gea fumbling the ball to present Fletcher with his opportunity in the first place.
Well, we say no one...
https://twitter.com/JohnBrewinESPN/status/804061755198545920
https://twitter.com/TintinnyTins/status/804063443678597120
Michael Lundy joins Wooly for a wide-ranging discussion that starts with a chat about Ger Loughnane, dodgy transfers and Davy Fitzgerald's training methods. Subscribe here on iTunes.
