Man Utd hero Butt full of praise for current whizkids

06.09.11 | tribalfootball.com

Manchester United hero Nicky Butt is impressed by the new kids now coming through.

Butt made history at Old Trafford along with David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and the Neville ­brothers, who went on to underpin an unprecedented, sustained period of ­success for the club from the mid-1990s.

Now, Sir Alex Ferguson has the Fab Four – Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Danny Welbeck – another group of young English players primed to lead United into a ­glorious new era.

Butt told the People: “Going back to the time when Becks, Scholesy, Gary, Phil and me were coming through into the first team, we felt invincible.

“When we were in that youth team there was a feeling that something ­special was developing.

“We felt we could take on the world and I see that same sort of confidence running through the young lads that are in this United team now.

“It’s exciting to see it happening again because you can’t ­underestimate what can happen when you get a group of young players like Sir Alex has now all gelling at the same time.

“Am I surprised? No, not at all ­because these things don’t happen by accident at United.

“The manager plans for this kind of evolution and, as in the case of the Class of ’92, he is always willing to give young players a chance.

“He did it with our group and you can see he’s already recognised that these young lads can handle being on the big stage as United players.

“Cleverley and Welbeck have been at the club a while and he’s carefully managed their career development.

“Smalling and Jones have been brought in from outside, but he’s ­immediately seen there’s no point in farming them out on loan.

“They are ready now because they have what it takes.

“It looks like those two have been United players for years.

“They aren’t fazed by the high ­standards the club have set nor the ­expectation levels that come with ­being a United player."