Danny Welbeck reveals the class message he received for Alex Fergsuon this season | Football

Danny Welbeck has revealed he is still in touch with Sir Alex Ferguson, nine years on from his shock Manchester United departure.

The former England international left Old Trafford in the summer of 2014 for rivals Arsenal after he fell down Ferguson’s pecking order.

Amid competition from the likes of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, Welbeck joined the Gunners with whom he won two FA Cup during an injury ravaged five-year spell.

The 34-year-old joined Watford in 2019 and after a solitary season at Vicarage Road was picked up by Brighton on a free.

Welbeck has spent five years on the south coast and is now rediscovering some of his best form under Fabian Hurzeler.

The Seagulls and their veteran centre forward are preparing for an FA Cup quarter final against Nottingham Forest this weekend with Welbeck having secured his side’s place in the last eight following his extra time winner against Newcastle in the previous round.

‘[Sir Alex Ferguson] actually phoned me after the Newcastle goal,’ Welbeck revealed in an interview with the BBC. ‘He talked about the goal and the performance.

‘He was buzzing and to have that sort of connection, he is a manager who is always looking out for his players, always wants the best for them, and still to this day is in contact.’

Brighton, meanwhile, are one of four of the eight clubs to have reached this stage of the competition this season who have never won a major trophy – Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Fulham are the others.

Most of the Premier League’s big-hitters having already been knocked out – only an under-performing Manchester City remain of the so-called ‘big six’ – leaving a sense this could be the year for a new name to be etched onto the famous old trophy.

Wembley awaits for Saturday’s winners but Hurzeler is determined to block out any sense of occasion in order to keep his players focused.

‘Of course we feel it but for me, it’s important we don’t make it artificially big,’ Hurzeler said.

‘Of course, it’s an important game but it’s like all the other games as well because in all the games we can improve ourselves, in all the games we have to go to the limit.

‘I am not trying to make it artificially big, we all know it’s a big opportunity, a big chance but it’s like all the other games as well.’

The German was clear his attitude did not reflect any lack of belief in his players to do something big this season.

‘There are three things that made us strong in the past – intensity, we try to outwork and outrun opponents,” he said. “We need to have togetherness – we need to stick together not only in good phases but also in negative phases.

‘The last thing is, in this phase of the season, we need to have the belief. And I have the biggest belief in this group – the belief that they can win and that they can achieve a season everyone remembers.

‘But if you want to show all three things then it’s important we don’t force it.;

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