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By Steven Sutcliffe

Reece James is the name on every United fan's lips after impressing against Roma just days after a dream debut which saw him score twice in the 7-0 thrashing of LA Galaxy.

But things might have turned out very differently for the 20-year-old had the Reds not stepped in to rescue him from the football abyss, when he was released by Preston North End just two summers ago.

A then-18-year-old James made initial enquiries with League Football Education (LFE) - an organisation that looks after the education and welfare of apprentice players - about the possibility heading out to America on a 4-year soccer scholarship.

Had he made that move, the youngster would now be turning out in front of a few thousand people, at best, on the collegiate circuit.

A world apart from his United bow at the Rose Bowl last Wednesday in front of 86,432!

“I spoke to Reece a couple of times in 2012 and again more recently in March when he wanted to know what his options were in terms of studying in the States,” said LFE's Simon Williams.

“He sent me his CV and was interested in the prospect of going over when we first spoke but United offered him a contract – which was an amazing turnaround. He then called me earlier this year, which was out of the blue because he was doing well at United but he just wanted to touch base in case they let him go.”

James’s determination to ensure he had a back-up plan in place may have prompted that contact after his experiences at Preston, where he was jettisoned by Graham Westley.

That decision perplexed many of the staff at Deepdale, who believed that he had the potential to develop into a top class player.

And North End’s loss has been United’s gain.

Last term the cultured left-back was a key-man for the Reds' Under-21 side and boss Warren Joyce, who has cultivated the player for the past two seasons is not surprised by his progress.

He insists that James is far from a ‘flash in the pan’ and is ideally placed to take advantage of Louis van Gaal’s willingness to give young players a chance.

“I’d seen him play for Preston was impressed with him and I’d mentioned his progress to his brother Matty (now Leicester City) so when we knew they weren’t going to offer him a deal we got him in straight away,” Joyce said.

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“Sometimes certain players don’t fit the requirements of a manager but we knew what he was about and thought he’d fit in. He came in for a couple of days, we liked what we saw and offered him a deal.

“He’s done really well, he was great for the Under-21s last season and I thought he was probably our player of the season.

“He’s composed, good on the ball and is extremely consistent – you have to hand it to him because he’s made the most of an opportunity – grabbing it with both hands and that’s what you have to do.

“I wasn’t surprised by his performance against LA Galaxy and it’s not a case of him being a flash in the pan - he’s a very good player who has performed consistently for over 12 months.

“With the new manager arriving everybody starts this year with a clean slate and a lot of the younger players have already been given opportunities to train with the first-team.

"The manager wants to see those players and Reece is one of a few that have stepped-up and impressed them with his attitude and quality."