Ryan Tunnicliffe profile

I wrote this for an application that decided to change it's mind and ask me to work for free instead of the £2000 a month it originally offered. I take it as a compliment that liked my writing but they can get fucked if they think they can get away with moving the goalposts like that.

I wrote it the day after Man Utd's win over Newcastle in the Capital One Cup which is why it is so time specific. Enjoy.

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Another transfer window came and went without the big name midfield signing that Manchester United fans crave. While Paul Scholes continues to dominate games with his vision and craft and Tom Cleverley's ever-improving performances, neither are the box-to-box midfielder who can really grab a game by the scruff of its neck.

Red Devils fans need look no further than City's Yaya Toure to see the kind of player who would leave their mouths watering. So, enter academy product Ryan Tunnicliffe, who came off the bench to replace Marnick Vermijl in last night’s Capital One Cup clash with Newcastle. Those who have watched him develop in the reserves over the past few seasons have admired his determination, his industry and his desire to get stuck in. This results in picking up a few yellow cards over a season but his protection of the back four and ability going forward have earned him comparisons to Roy Keane.

Despite a poor showing at Peterborough, where he was on loan for the majority of last season, Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision not to loan him out again could be seen as a sign that he plans to integrate him into the first team. These may prove tricky with Cleverley, Scholes and the impressive Shinji Kagawa as well as a host of squad players still ahead of him in the pecking order but whispers around Carrington suggest that he definitely has a part to play this season.

United have been crying out for this kind of player for years. While glances may be cast enviously at Man City and Toure, Tunnicliffe would provide a much cheaper option than Newcastle’s Cheik Tiote or Everton’s Marouane Fellaini as well as boasting another feather in the cap of United’s academy.

Forcing your way into a team like Manchester United is always tricky but Tunnicliffe must be feeling the time could not be better to capitalise on the dearth of hard-hitting defensive midfielders of his ilk.

To top off a happy day in the Tunnicliffe household, Ryan’s dad also collected a cool £10,000 having bet his son would play for Manchester United over ten years ago.