Ashley Young's emergence as a major influence with England showed the livewire forward is made for the big stage and he has adapted well to life at Old Trafford.

Having unluckily missed out on the 2010 World Cup squad with Shaun Wright-Phillips getting the nod instead, he looked set to be a key figure at Euro 2012 but was unable to help Roy Hodgson's side progress beyond the quarter-finals, unluckily hitting the bar during the penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy.

Of bigger concern to United fans will be how he develops after a season of bedding in to life in Manchester. Injury halted his progress around Christmas

time but there were some incredible highs during his debut campaign including sensational doubles against Arsenal and Tottenham.

Young's career has been on a steadily upward curve after suffering the blow of being on the brink of being released as a youngster at Watford. He showed great courage and tenacity to force the Hornets to change their mind, and prove them hopelessly wrong, and became subject of a bidding war - eventually won by Villa in 2007.

The fee, rising to almost £10million, was declared far too steep by those supposedly in the know but it soon started looking like a bargain. Flourishing