Two straight wins for Manchester United have lifted the mood after three consecutive 0-0 draws, though the third international break since the start of the season frustrates fans who get withdrawal symptoms from going two weeks without seeing their team.

The league table looks as good as those fans could have hoped for, Jesse Lingard is making an impact and the defence hadn’t conceded a goal for over nine hours as most of the players went into international week.

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They’ll return to Carrington next week to prepare for a game at Watford. Links between the two clubs may not seem obvious, but there are many. Watford’s chief executive Scott Duxbury is a Mancunian who grew up supporting United and his current club have a history of interaction with United aside from games.

With Watford often out of England’s top flight, United have viewed the Vicarage Road club as a good place to loan promising youngsters. Tom Cleverley spent a season there in the Championship in 2009-10, where he was named the club’s Player of the Year.

“I went away a boy and came back a man,” Cleverley recalled. “I’d never cooked or washed clothes before. I looked at the empty kitchen in my flat down south and didn’t know what to do. The fitness guy at Watford came round to show me how to cook some simple chicken and pasta dishes. Nothing too complex, but it worked.

“Becoming more independent puts you in the real world and that’s a side of going out on loan that people don’t always understand. I went to Watford and was involved in a lot of attacking play. which I enjoyed. I improved as a player and started to score more goals.”

Cleverley was one of several United players loaned to Watford, including Chris Eagles. Another, Danny Webber, whose goal for Salford City helped Notts County in the FA Cup recently, ended up signing for them.

“It was a great move for me,” he recalled. “I was playing regularly, I felt free to express myself under Gianluca Vialli and Ray Lewington (currently England assistant manager). It’s an attractive club for players - well-located near London and on the main rail and motorways between London, Birmingham and Manchester. Because of the location, scouts used to be at all of our games. And it wasn’t in the centre of London where there are a lot of temptations for a young player.

“Ashley Young was a youth player at Watford while I was there and was full of talent and self-belief. The coaches were concerned that he wasn’t physically strong enough to play Championship football and hoped that he’d grow, but having played with him in the young vs. old games every Friday, I knew he was ready. The ‘youngsters’ always used to win.”

Young was later sold to Aston Villa for £9.7 million in 2007, still Watford’s record transfer sale. Webber was a success at Vicarage Road. He cost Watford £250,000 and they sold him to Sheffield United for £500,000.

Jimmy Davis, Manchester United Image credit: PA Photos

Webber was followed from United to Watford by his best mate, striker Jimmy Davis. The pair had played up front together for United at Highbury in a League Cup match, when Davis made his debut, a pair of 19-year-olds leading the line for Manchester United.

“Jimmy forgot his boots!” exclaims Webber. “He thought I’d hidden them. I gave him my spare pair. We got battered by an experienced Arsenal side.” Webber left United for Watford soon after. “Jimmy joined me on loan and we did a full pre-season together. The lads loved Jimmy, he sang a song as his initiation ceremony.”

Webber went to Davis’ Watford hotel for dinner one Friday night in August 2003. “I left him and thought he’d gone to bed,” he said. “He decided to drive back to Birmingham to see his family.”

Watford’s Terry Byrne, later David Beckham’s manager, called Danny at eight the next morning and asked him to come to their stadium immediately.

“I was worried and wondered what I’d done wrong,” says Webber. “I pulled into the car park and saw two police cars, plus the manager’s car. I saw tears in the manager’s eyes. The officers wanted to speak to me. They explained that a BMW had been found on the M40 and they couldn’t identify the driver. They asked if there was any possibility that anyone else could have been driving the car. There wasn’t.”

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo (l) and Ruud van Nistelrooy wear Jimmy Davis shirts as a mark of respect for the player who died earlier in the seaso Image credit: PA Photos

Webber pulled his phone out.

“Jimmy was dead, but I called him 20 or 30 times. It went straight to voicemail.” The inquest into his death was told he was over the legal alcohol limit.

Police officers then informed Jimmy’s parents that their son had died.

“It was a horrible time. I couldn’t process what had happened and didn’t handle it well. I put on a face that I was fine. Footballers do that. You don’t show weakness. I wasn’t fine. I was living away from home and I immersed myself in training.”

Webber wore a vest with Jimmy’s name on.

“Every time I scored it felt like such relief. Until I did, I felt like I was playing with a rucksack on my back.”

The entire Watford and United first teams attended Davis’ funeral. Webber still keeps in touch with Jimmy’s parents.

Ben Foster, Watford Image credit: PA Photos

There were further links between United and Watford. United’s goalkeeping coach until 2013, Eric Steele, had been Watford’s goalkeeper and credits then the Watford manager Graham Taylor with pushing him.

“As well as qualifying as a coach – in part because when I was at Watford, Graham Taylor pushed his players to become coaches because they’d know more about the game,” he explained. “He was right and by 25 I’d done my full badges.”

Under Steele’s watch, United’s young goalkeeper Ben Foster was loaned out to Watford.

“He needed first-team football to help develop his game, but I don’t believe that gave him the right preparation if he was ever going to take over from Edwin van Sar,” said Steele. “Watford had a very direct style of play. He would have been better at a club whose football was more similar to Manchester United.”

Now Watford are back in the Premier League and able to take points from United such loans, successful or otherwise, will be mothballed for a time. United will want to do the Hornets no favours.

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