Tom Cleverley believes it is good for English football that Manchester United are title contenders again, with the midfielder delighted to see his former reserve team boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer succeeding.
The 31-year-old came through the United youth system and went on to make 79 first-team appearances, winning the Premier League as Sir Alex Ferguson brought a triumphant end to his reign in 2013.
There has not been a sustained title charge since then, although United are in the hunt this season and will replace Liverpool at the top of the standings if they get a positive result at Burnley on Tuesday.
But first comes Saturday evening's FA Cup third-round tie against Championship outfit Watford, and United stars including Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood and Jesse Lingard tuned up with a training session ahead of the Old Trafford match.
Now a Watford midfielder, Cleverley is happy to see his old club back on an upward trajectory.
Asked about the prospect of seeing some familiar faces this weekend, the former England international said: "Probably more on the staff than the players but it's a great stadium to play at.
"Obviously I spent three, three-and-a-half years in the first-team but a lot of time in the academy and it's great to see how well they're doing in the league again.
"I think it's good for English football that Manchester United are title contenders, so I'm looking forward to it.
"Obviously there's not been a title challenge for seven, eight years now. It's still early days, we're not even halfway through.
"The way they're playing and the players they've got and the attacking flair they've got, then the signs are looking good, even though they probably want to play it down right now."
Cleverley's time in the United first-team was bumpy at times after coming through the ranks at the club.
Loan spells at Leicester, Watford and Wigan came along with game time in the reserves during an impressive breakthrough, when his second-string manager for a short period was current first-team boss Solskjaer.
"He was my reserve team manager for six months to a year so I crossed paths with Ole," Cleverley said.
"I'm really pleased for him that he's gone on to be a success at Man United."
But while Cleverley's affection for his former club is clear, Saturday is about making the most out a free hit in Watford head coach Xisco Munoz's third match in charge.
"We've got nothing to lose," he said of Saturday's FA Cup third-round encounter.
"It'll be a good stadium, good pitch, maybe a chance to see our new signing.
"So it's a positive game for us. We can go up there and try and show everyone what we've got."
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
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Fulham 0
Aston Villa 3 (Grealish 4', Hourihane 15', Mings 48')
Man of the match: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
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Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
