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On Sunday afternoon at just before 4 o'clock, a lad from Eccles, one from Broadheath and another who spent his formative years in Bramhall could hoist the Premier League trophy at Old Trafford.

All three had dreams as schoolboys of raising the crown in front of the Stretford End wearing Manchester United shirts.

But they will be wearing the blue of Leicester City. If the Foxes beat the Reds and gain the three points that will complete the most remarkable title success of the modern era, if not ever.

Danny Drinkwater, Danny Simpson and Kasper Schmeichel have United history.

Even their King Power stadium colleague and newly crowned PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez has a tenuous link with Old Trafford.

The Algerian was at Le Havre and roomed with Paul Pogba's brother the year United had signed up the latter from the French club.

The quartet have been at the heart of manager Claudio Ranieri's extraordinary team that has shaken the foundations of the powerhouses of English football.

They also illustrate the perilous nature of football scouting, player development and decision making.

Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that making the decision to get rid of academy products was one of the hardest things he had to do.

United's policy was, and is, to find discarded teenagers new clubs and to help them make a 'career' in football somewhere.

Generally speaking many forge a football life away from Old Trafford, but not many have the chance of returning to bite the Reds on the backside and steal the thunder of a club who used to have the staging of the pyrotechnic and ticket tape title celebrations off pat.

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Drinkwater and Simpson used to look on enviously as part of United's youth squads who'd assemble on such prize-giving days to applaud the seniors.

Schmeichel would have done it too as a tot when his dad Peter was front and centre of the Premier League title presentations.

At an age when contracts and goodbyes have to be decided, Simpson and Drinkwater were in the latter category. There was no uproar when they were allowed to leave.

Young Schmeichel never got to that stage at United. Legend Peter had moved onto City, contacts were made at the Blues and his son eventually was invited to join the Reds' rivals.

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All three are now making the biggest impacts of their careers as late developers. They are now in their late 20s and have had 10 clubs and 15 loan moves between them before discovering success in the East Midlands.

Sadly, at major clubs like United, they cannot wait for the slow burning successes.

Nobody can be blamed for letting go the Drinkwaters and Simpsons of this world, not foreseeing the long-term potential of the blond-haired mini Schmeichel who was often in his kit saving balls in United's tunnel waiting for his dad post match.

That's the minefield that is youth development and adds another ingredient to a potential surreal occasion at Old Trafford on Sunday.