SANCHEZ: HEALY IS THE NORTHERN IRISH DAVID BECKHAM
David Healy has been monikered the "David Beckham of Northern Ireland" by his
Fulham manager, Lawrie Sanchez, and at Old Trafford on Monday the forward
hopes to have the opportunity to show his old club what they are missing after
Manchester United allowed the then-trainee to leave six years ago.
The 28-year-old signed for United back in August 1999, four days shy of his
20th birthday, but he featured only once for Sir Alex Ferguson's team - as a
substitute in a League Cup tie against Aston Villa.
Ferguson allowed Healy to join Preston in January 2001, and having scored 43
goals for the club Healy was transferred to Leeds United, before Sanchez spent
£1.5m on securing his services in the summer.
Despite registering four goals for Fulham already, it is on the international
scene that the Killyleagh-born striker has truly shone. Last month (NOV) he
surpassed Davor Suker's scoring record in the European Championship Qualifiers,
which had stood for a dozen years, and now has 33 goals in 66 games for his
country.
Sanchez, who masterminded Northern Ireland's memorable 1-0 victory over
Sven-Goran Eriksson's England in 2005, in which Healy scored the winner, said:
"David Healy is the David Beckham of Northern Ireland.
"When he plays for the national team, percentage wise he's a better striker
than Michael Owen or Alan Shearer, which for a small nation is phenomenal.
"To score 13 goals in a qualifying group that includes Fernando Torres, David
Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is something special.
"You think of the quality of those forwards and David has outscored them
against the same defences and with a lesser team."
Sanchez, whose side face a relegation battle as they have won only two of their
opeining 14 Premier League games, added: "He is a class striker, he's proven
that internationally and he's proven that in the Premier League.
"David's stepped up and he's scored the goals. The Premier League is a tough
league to play in and you can name numerous forwards that have failed.
"He's already scored four, which is a good strike rate. I expect him to get ten
goals this season without a doubt. There aren't too many finishers of his
quality in the league."
David Healy has been monikered the "David Beckham of Northern Ireland" by his
Fulham manager, Lawrie Sanchez, and at Old Trafford on Monday the forward
hopes to have the opportunity to show his old club what they are missing after
Manchester United allowed the then-trainee to leave six years ago.
The 28-year-old signed for United back in August 1999, four days shy of his
20th birthday, but he featured only once for Sir Alex Ferguson's team - as a
substitute in a League Cup tie against Aston Villa.
Ferguson allowed Healy to join Preston in January 2001, and having scored 43
goals for the club Healy was transferred to Leeds United, before Sanchez spent
£1.5m on securing his services in the summer.
Despite registering four goals for Fulham already, it is on the international
scene that the Killyleagh-born striker has truly shone. Last month (NOV) he
surpassed Davor Suker's scoring record in the European Championship Qualifiers,
which had stood for a dozen years, and now has 33 goals in 66 games for his
country.
Sanchez, who masterminded Northern Ireland's memorable 1-0 victory over
Sven-Goran Eriksson's England in 2005, in which Healy scored the winner, said:
"David Healy is the David Beckham of Northern Ireland.
"When he plays for the national team, percentage wise he's a better striker
than Michael Owen or Alan Shearer, which for a small nation is phenomenal.
"To score 13 goals in a qualifying group that includes Fernando Torres, David
Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is something special.
"You think of the quality of those forwards and David has outscored them
against the same defences and with a lesser team."
Sanchez, whose side face a relegation battle as they have won only two of their
opeining 14 Premier League games, added: "He is a class striker, he's proven
that internationally and he's proven that in the Premier League.
"David's stepped up and he's scored the goals. The Premier League is a tough
league to play in and you can name numerous forwards that have failed.
"He's already scored four, which is a good strike rate. I expect him to get ten
goals this season without a doubt. There aren't too many finishers of his
quality in the league."
Labels: David Healy, football, Fulham, Lawrie Sanchez, Manchester United, Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson
