Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck thrilled by Marcus Rashford emergence at Manchester United

Danny Welbeck is delighted to see Marcus Rashford's progress into the Manchester United first team. The 25-year-old striker played for the same side as Rashford during his youth, Fletcher Moss Rangers, and is thrilled he has made such an impressive start to life at Old Trafford.

Welbeck left United for Arsenal in the summer of 2014, but has retained a keen interest in the club's fortunes. His brother Chris is a friend of the Rashford family, and Danny has backed the player to achieve significant success with the Red Devils.

"We both grew up in Manchester, came through Fletcher Moss Rangers and then onto Manchester United, coming through the academy, making it into the first team and making a debut," Welbeck said of the United starlet, according to The Mirror.

"He's done brilliantly well. Individually I was really pleased for him, obviously to make a great debut like that in the Europa League and then into the weekend he did well."

Rashford has scored back-to-back braces with the United first-team, the second of which came in their 3-2 win against Welbeck's Arsenal. The England international was disappointed to have lost the game at Old Trafford, but delighted by the progress of the opposing youngster.

"It was disappointing on the day. I was down when we lost that match. I'm pleased for Marcus but disappointed to lose that game," he said.

"My brother is very close with his family. He's known his family for a very long time and Marcus was coming through the ranks at United when I was playing in the first team and I would see him all of the time."

What's more, Welbeck claimed there are a number of young players local to United who could one day break into the first-team squad too.

"He's someone that I always spoke to. He's a great kid," he explained. "He's very level-headed. He's got great potential and I hope he does very well. I've spoken to him a couple of times. Fletcher Moss was where it started for me and a lot of other players as well. It's vital that they get the stature back up again, get everything running smoothly again.

"There's a lot of talent in Manchester that grows up in and around that club. Hopefully it can keep going for many more years."