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James Wilson is the teenager United privately believe went under the radar when Reds boss Louis van Gaal got shut of Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez.

As the Mancunian and Mexican exited Old Trafford in their £16m move to Arsenal and 12-month loan move to Real Madrid and the exciting lavish £150m capture of six new players, including Colombian striker Radamel Falcao that sparked concerns over United’s ‘lost soul’ the promotion of the 18-year-old from Biddulph to senior status went largely unheralded.

It is a step up in class that should be celebrated and Reds fans who cherish the elevation of their home produced talent to the big stages hope Wilson will be able to break the mould in some ways.

The last time a hitman came through United’s ranks to full establish himself long term was Mark Hughes back in the 80s.

Since then, while midfielders, defenders and wingers have been bred in United’s youth system and broken through to become senior regulars producing a lasting goalscorer has proved more difficult.

Goals are the golden commodity in football and United have paid through the nose to bring players with that knack to Old Trafford.

Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie have all arrived for big dollars since Hughes’ cost-nothing debut.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a bargain £1.5m but he, too, couldn’t be dislodged by anyone the Reds produced themselves.

Welbeck looked like he might gatecrash the illustrious strike party when the Longsight striker rubbed shoulders with United’s seniors after a successful spell on loan at Sunderland. But despite becoming an England regular the United fan couldn’t split the Rooney-Van Persie ticket that stood in his way.

When the Falcao deal came out of left field last Sunday night his days at United were numbered.

Maybe they were last month when Wilson scored four times against City’s reserve side in the Manchester Senior Cup final at Ewen Fields.

After his success in the August Senior Cup derby Wilson hoped he’d impress Louis van Gaal when word got back to the Dutchman.

“I do hope so. I showed him what I can do tonight. Hopefully I can get the call-up to do it for the new gaffer as well,” he said.

The four-goal success was a feat Welbeck himself had achieved in 2007 in a 7-0 romp against West Bromwich Albion. In their youth days Paul Scholes had done it against Marine while Ryan Giggs achieved it twice against Darlington and Carlisle. But Wilson had even gone one better when he scored five as a 16-year-old against Newcastle in 2012.

Apart from the four against the Blues last month, Wilson, of course, was a two-goal debutant for the first team last May against Hull City when interim boss Giggs gave him his head.

Wilson’s United Under 21 team boss Warren Joyce believes last season’s club Young Player of the Year has the tools to succeed.

“He’s got a lot of things he has still got to work on. There are things, technically and tactically, he’s naive on. He is still a young boy with a lot of natural talent. He can still improve but he wants to do that and he can do it this year,” he said.

Last season Wilson top scored in the Reds Under 19s first dabble at the UEFA Europa Youth League. Nicky Butt managed the side’s debut in the competition.

“Wilson is unbelievable in the six-yard box. He’s got the best standing spring you’ve ever seen in your life. He is very explosive, an out-and-out goalscorer with good pace and he’s good size, too. At 6’2”, he’ll be a big strong boy in a few years’ time. If he keeps his head down he could be a superstar in a few years. He’s got a lot of work to do yet, but he could be as good as anyone who’s played for this club in a long, long time.”