Wout Weghorst might have two roles to play at Manchester United

Weghorst must be prepared to reprise his World Cup role but also be ready to start if Martial is out (Image: Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Wout Weghorst has landed the dream career move he never anticipated, especially at the age of 30. The Dutch attacker was all smiles as he posed with pen in hand during Manchester United’s photoshoot upon his arrival. He’s got a four-month pass to show his best, but probably in a way he’s not used to.

Weghorst is seen as a mere stop-gap before a bigger plunge for a marquee attacker in the summer, and the forward likely knows this himself. He will play back-up to Anthony Martial, which is not the worst place to be, given the Frenchman’s injuries and fitness this term.

The 27-year-old has not completed a full 90 minutes all season, so Weghorst can expect to put in some mileage before May. The new arrival only once failed to see out a match in his 18 matches with Besiktas and so offers something Martial has struggled to this term.

The trend of Weghorst’s career has been his status at the clubs he has played for, in that he has always been the main striker. Even in his first full professional season at FC Emmen in the Netherlands during the 2012/13 campaign, he played the majority of games and was the focal point.

This status has mostly reaped reward in his career, the forward netting 27 goals in his final season with AZ Alkmaar before his 2018 switch to Wolfsburg, where he netted 18, 20 and 25 goals in his final three terms.

Only last season did his record flounder when he scored just two goals in 20 Premier League appearances after his January switch to Burnley. He picked up form again with Besiktas with eight goals in 16 Super Lig matches, but it’s also a league where Premier League rejects have still managed to thrive over the last decade or so.

As at Burnley, he was one of the first names on the teamsheet at Besiktas but this will not be the case at United. He will have to brace to be used as a rotation player – something he has never done at club level before – should Martial stay off the injury table.

That said, he did have prior experience of this role last month in the most intense cauldron in football. United have been given a glimpse of what he can do as a bench player when he netted a last-gasp brace for the Netherlands against eventual winners Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals.

In fact, all four of his outings in Qatar came from the bench. Furthermore, just five of his 19 caps for his country have been starts – so it’s not something he is a stranger to on the international stage.

Weghorst wheels off in utter joy after his last-gasp equaliser vs Argentina at the World Cup (Image: Liu Lu/VCG via Getty Images)

But at club level is a different matter, and Weghorst is facing the probable prospect that he will be playing second-fiddle if Erik ten Hag’s plan goes accordingly.

However, as United fans know all too well, Martial has barely been able to put together any consistent game time under his new boss so his 6ft 6in back-up may be handed more match minutes than the usual substitute.

Upon his arrival on Friday evening, Weghorst declared: “I’ve seen United’s progress under Ten Hag this season and can’t wait to start playing my part in pushing the team towards its aims.

“Whatever happens in the next few months, I can promise to give everything to the club for as long as I am here.”

He must be ready to go from side act to centre-stage when required to ‘play his part’ – but this surprising latter-career swansong will be an exciting chapter for him either way and he must embrace it. It may not last for long.

Source: dailylifeworld.com