10 Boyhood Man Utd Fans The Club Should Have Signed
6. Joe Allen
“I’m a boyhood United fan and I can’t wait to go there and pit my wits against players like (Ryan) Giggs and Paul Scholes. Giggs was always someone I looked out for because he was a Welshman and a fantastic player. But, from my own football point of view, I looked up to Roy Keane and Scholes, who was my hero as a kid. When Scholes retired at the end of last season I was disappointed because I thought I would never get the chance to be on the same pitch and line up alongside him.” - Joe Allen, March 2012.
No, Man United supporters weren’t impressed with the link to Joe Allen this summer. In fact, some were almost spitting with disgust. Perhaps it’s because while they were incessantly and impatiently clicking ‘refresh’ on their laptops, they were expecting to be updated with the confirmation of a £100 million reinforcement from Juventus rather than a move for a bearded Anfield benchwarmer.
Nevertheless, Red Devil supporters have been a bit spoilt by all this Paul Pogba talk, and the Joe Allen that shone for Wales at Euro 2016 would have been a solid signing, even as cover. Sir Alex Ferguson spoke in gushing terms of the Welshman’s talent rather than highlighting the likes of Gareth Bale or Aaron Ramsey, so if it’s good enough for Ferguson…
Perhaps the Scotsman should have swooped for Allen in 2012 to replace Tom Cleverley - whose own mother could probably have predicted that he wouldn’t make the grade at Old Trafford.