Manchester United Treble winner, Dwight Yorke, feels for Donny van de Beek over his form and struggles.
While Yorke hit the ground running after the move from Aston Villa, he appreciates that is usually not the case.
“I feel for players because they come in with a big fee and expectations at a football club like United,” he told manutd.com. “Donny’s come in as a big-name summer signing for us and a lot is expected of him. You know, when you come to this club, there is competition for places and it’s not straightforward. You’ve got to earn the right to be in the team.
“He’s found himself in an unusual position and he has to fight hard and show determination to overcome this and get into the team.
“He’ll get the chance to impress the manager, who is seeing him on a daily basis in training, but the performances and the results have largely been fantastic so the manager is caught with his hands behind his back. He needs to pick the players who are getting results to this point and a manager, as an aspiring manager myself, these are the problems you want. You’re trying to manage these players in the right circumstances but it will be very hard for van de Beek.
“He’s got to be frustrated and I can understand why – because he’s joined a club and has expected to be playing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite happen for him but he’ll show resilience and has to continue to believe in himself. This is where man-management comes in: to make sure he keeps his head up, his fitness and his belief that he will get more chances.
“There are different circumstances for different players. Like you said, I was very fortunate to hit the ground running and it became pretty easy for me from the beginning. But I’ve seen players struggle from the start and not gone straight in. So, as far as I’m concerned, Donny will try to prove himself and show he deserves more chances.”