Greenwood is heading for the very top of the game... AND SO ARE UNITED

MASON GREENWOOD is not just the future of English football and a phenomenal young talent.

If he manages two more goals in the run-in for Manchester United, he’ll have scored more in his first season for the club as a teenager than George Best, Wayne Rooney and Brian Kidd.

And if United try to sign Jadon Sancho or Harry Kane in the transfer window, we could be watching England’s front three at Old Trafford next season: Sancho or Kane, Greenwood and Marcus Rashford.

Greenwood (celebrating his goal against Aston Villa, right) has not just appeared from nowhere on the Red Devils’ conveyor belt. Inside the club, he has been earmarked as a bright prospect for some time.

But 16 goals to date in his debut season at first-team level speaks for itself. Greenwood is the real deal.

He is being managed perfectly by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is giving him due praise in public, but reminding him to live his life the right way off the pitch.

To unearth Rashford in 2016 was a great tribute to United’s talent-spotters and recruitment.

To bring Greenwood bursting into the picture at 18, playing with such confidence and authority, is another feather in the cap of the club’s youth set-up.

United have been so impressive since football’s return from lockdown that I believe, with only two or three additions down the spine of the team, they are genuine top-two contenders next season. In fact, I will make this prediction: whoever finishes above United in 2021 will win the title – especially if they strengthen the squad.

I would go for Kalidou Koulibaly (bottom right), the Napoli captain, because he would bring pace to the heart of Solskjaer’s back four. I would go for a playmaker to provide competition for Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, who was absolutely majestic against Villa on Thursday night – maybe Jack Grealish or James Maddison.

And I would go for Sancho (right) or Kane (middle right), which would send a signal to the rest of the Premier League: United are back in business.

Obviously, we can’t be sure, at this stage, how heavily the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted clubs’ spending power.

But I get the impression Solskjaer is close to assembling an irresistible attacking force, who can play with the swagger, intensity and tempo United fans have come to expect down the years.

A front five of Fernandes, Pogba, Rashford, Greenwood, and Kane or Sancho, would take some stopping.

As it is, Solskjaer has beaten Manchester City three times this season and, one way or another, I expect United to qualify for the Champions League next year – either through a top-four finish or by winning the Europa League.

And they are free-scoring – the first team in Premier

League history to win four consecutive games by a threegoal margin.

I’m not convinced they are ready to topple Liverpool and reclaim their perch in 2020-21, but the verve, energy and willingness to take risks on the ball – all key ingredients of United’s success in the glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson – are back. Since Fernandes signed in January, United have taken 24 points from 10 games – which would have put them top of the table over that period.

And I liked their reaction to falling behind against Bournemouth last weekend. It reminded me of the good old days when taking an early lead at Old Trafford was like a red rag to a bull.

Liverpool may be 34 points ahead of United in the standings but, based on the sublime Pogba-fernandes axis, and the thrilling promise of Greenwood and Rashford up front, I’m already convinced the gap will be much, much closer next season.

To score more goals as a teenager than Best, Rooney and Kidd would be remarkable.

Greenwood is heading for the very top and so are United.