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Manchester United will have to watch out for the ex-factor when they travel to Leicester on Sunday.

The Foxes have lured a pack of former Reds cubs to their King Power Stadium lair with EIGHT of their former players now on the Blues’ payroll.

Ritchie de Laet, Danny Drinkwater and Matty James have been joined at the Premier League newcomers this summer by Jack Barmby, Louis Rowley, Tom Lawrence, Danny Simpson and Nick Powell on loan.

Sir Alex Ferguson and his Academy coaches at Carrington prided themselves on the fact that if a youngster was unable to make the breakthrough at Old Trafford then many would still have a good career in football.

And Leicester are certainly benefiting from that United education.

City’s development squad coach Steve Beaglehole says manager Nigel Pearson believes that players schooled in United’s ways have ready-made values already instilled in them that add to those he’s building at Leicester.

“Manchester United may be going through a transition period but, for me, when I was with Northern Ireland, you could always tell the lads who came from Manchester United,” said Beaglehole, who was boss of the Northern Ireland Under-19s and Under-21s.

“They are brought up the right way, they are disciplined, they have good habits and that is something our manager values very highly.

“I think everyone can see the relationship we have with Manchester United is very strong. We have a number of their players.

“We have brought in Jack Barmby and Louis Rowley on frees this summer. That didn’t cost us anything and I am really pleased with those two players.

“We know they are brought up in the right way and we hope they can progress and get into the first team. They are both young and have the opportunity to play more games with us than they did at United.

“It is such a big club at United with so many players and, unless you really catch the eye, you can go under the radar there. But the way Drinkwater, James and De Laet have come into the club and are now Premier League players, it wouldn’t surprise me if Manchester United want to buy one or two of them back in the future.”

While former Red 19-year-old youth players Barmby and Rowley have yet to play for the Foxes 25-year-old Belgian

right-back De Laet has been an established member of the side since signing from United in 2012.

De Laet arrived with 23-year-old Matty James, brother of Reece, in a double deal and has also established himself, though he is a doubt for the visit of Louis van Gaal’s side on Sunday after only returning from a shin injury in the Under-21s last Monday night.

That former Old Trafford duo were signed six months after Manchester midfielder Danny Drinkwater moved to Leicester from the Reds.

Last season he was in the PFA Championship Team of the season as Leicester won the Championship to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

Danny Simpson left United permanently in 2010 when the Eccles-born right-back moved to Newcastle. After three years he moved to QPR but only lasted a year at Loftus Road before Harry Redknapp sold him to Pearson in the summer.

“I was quite surprised when Harry Redknapp pulled me into his office and said Leicester had made an enquiry and that he was happy to let me go,” he said.

“I had enjoyed a good pre-season and was ready to hit the ground running in the Premier League, so it was a little bit of a shock after the year I’d had.

“I thought about what he said and decided I wanted to play for Leicester City and improve my opportunity for first-team football.”

So far Simpson is being kept out of the side by de Laet.

Tom Lawrence and Nick Powell were the latest to find themselves scooped up by Leicester.

Lawrence made his United debut only last May when interim boss Ryan Giggs promoted the 20-year-old from Wrexham against Hull.

But with the Van Gaal revolution under way the Welshman decided to move on - much to the

surprise of many familiar with the Under-21s, including Class of ‘92 boss Eric Harrison.

While Lawrence’s move was permanent, midfielder Powell, who was a £6m buy from Crewe by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2012, joined on a 12-month loan hoping to impress Van Gaal in the East Midlands and eventually force his way back at Old Trafford.

He won’t be able to play on Sunday as a loan player but there is going to be a few driven former Reds

on show hoping to put a spanner in the Gaalacticos’ works.