There was a reality in which Welbeck was the next big thing. In a way, he was Marcus Rashford before Marcus Rashford was himself.
Welbeck was the Manchester United boy come good, the latest off the production line and someone who Academy boys looked up to.
Gone South
England caps came, 42 of them, as did a move to Arsenal that was designed to unleash the beast. 32 goals in 126 appearances didn’t so much unleash the beast, as reveal it to be a puppy dog.
But even so the move to Watford was supposed to be a new start. The plan must have been to give Danny Welbeck the opportunity to start where he wanted more often, and in doing so, prove his ability and get back in the England side.
Hard Luck
Injuries wrecked that initial ambition, but the 29-year-old is just starting to get back into the swing of things.
Norwich City have been everyone’s whipping boys but eyebrows were raised at the sight of Welbeck flying through the air, twisting his body and thumping an overhead kick into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
It shows how much is stock has fallen that his name was being referenced along with Christian Benteke as a totem of how surprising the post-COVID football has been.
Important
Not only was it an important goal for personal reasons, but it was vital for Watford. They were slipping towards the relegation zone, appointed Nigel Pearson, steadied a little bit and then continued to slide. They are now four points above Aston Villa, who occupy the final relegation place.
Should Watford manage to steady themselves and play Premier League football next season, it’ll be an interesting time in Welbeck’s career. He’ll be approaching 30-years-old and looking to finally make the impact he’s threatened to do all this time.
Will he be able to remind us of his quality?