Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck questions David Moyes' call for extra training

Danny Welbeck has denied David Moyes's claims that he needs to do extra training sessions at Manchester United.

Welbeck has struggled to find a regular berth as a striker under the manager, though the 23-year-old scored twice in Sunday's 3-0 win at Aston Villa when starting in the position. This took his season's total to five for the club, with Moyes saying he spoke to Welbeck around a month ago, informing him he should follow the example of Wayne Rooney, who stays on for extra finishing practice at United's Carrington training base.

But Welbeck said: "I have been doing that ever since I have been at United. Obviously I have been injured this season so maybe the manager has not seen me on the training pitch as much. Maybe, I haven't seen what he has said. Obviously, at Manchester United, I want to be working hard and I have been doing that ever since I was a young kid. I just want to keep on getting better and improving. Those extra hours on the training pitch, whether it be with the boys or individually, I am just looking to improve.

"I want some more goals, I can tell you that, I want some more goals. I have got a figure in my mind, I want to score plenty more goals. Obviously it is not my decision about where my play. As I have said plenty of times before, I am happy to play for Manchester United in any of the attacking positions. Unfortunately, Robin [van Persie] has got injured. I might have a chance up front so I am looking to score some goals for Manchester United whilst playing as a centre-forward."

Earlier this week Moyes admitted surprise he needed to speak to Welbeck, and said: "I've got to say we had a word with him about a month ago and we said that he needs to be the last off the training field. Wayne's out there practising his finishing each day, whether it's taking free-kicks, shooting from tight angles or bending them in, whatever it may be Wayne's practising. I said: 'Danny, you need to be out there every day finishing, even if it's 15 minutes at the end.'"


Credit: Jamie Jackson/Guardian