Striker has admitted he was rejected by the Red Devils' neighbours when he was eight years old, and also warns that his side are not guaranteed a win over Fulham on Monday

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck has revealed that he was rejected by Manchester City when he was a boy.

However, the eight-year-old Welbeck wasn’t told he had been rejected and was soon recruited by cross-town rivals Manchester United. The striker told The Mail on Sunday: “My Dad didn’t tell me at the time, it was just before Christmas and he didn’t want to break any bad news.

“It wouldn’t have mattered though. I am one of those people that if you are going to say something, just say it. I take it on the chin.

“Straight after Christmas I played in a tournament for my local side, Fletcher Moss, and that’s where United picked me up. I went for a trial and have never looked back since. I was always a Red anyway.”

Welbeck, who spent loan spells at Preston North End and Sunderland earlier in his career, has come on in leaps and bounds since he broke into the United first-team at the start of the season, and his strike partnership with Wayne Rooney as exceeded Sir Alex Ferguson’s expectations.

He said of Rooney: “He is a Scouser, I am a Manc, but we are good friends. We are always messing about and joking off the field, while on the pitch we just seem to work really well together. We kind of understand each other’s games.

“Obviously, partnering Wayne Rooney up front is a big honour and I’d hope he would say the same thing!”

The Red Devils face Fulham on Monday evening and could possibly go three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a win. However, Welbeck does not believe his team are guaranteed a victory despite thumping the Cottagers 5-0 earlier in the season.

“We have been in the situation a few times this season where teams just want to sit back at Old Trafford and try and get us on the counter-attack," he said.

“I think you have to keep playing your normal game, be patient and probe the openings by knocking the ball around.

“You can’t get too impatient, that is what they want. You can’t let them get into your head.”