Brighton striker Danny Welbeck coy on England World Cup chances after influential display to knock out former club Manchester United

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Brighton forward Danny Welbeck says he is not looking too far ahead at the prospect of getting another England call-up, despite providing another reminder of his evergreen talents with the World Cup exactly six months away. Welbeck notched his ninth goal of the season, adding to claims he should be included in Thomas Tuchel's squad as Harry Kane's understudy at this summer's tournament.

'I can't be giving away my secrets' - Veteran Welbeck on his form and durability

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Brighton forward Danny Welbeck insists he is not looking too far ahead when it comes to the prospect of another England call-up, even as he continues to showcase his enduring quality six months before the 2026 World Cup.

Once again, Welbeck proved a thorn in the side of his former club as Manchester United, led by interim head coach Darren Fletcher, were dumped out of the Emirates FA Cup in the third round.

It brought a disappointing end to a turbulent week at Old Trafford, which had begun with the sacking of Ruben Amorim after 14 underwhelming months and concluded with what is expected to be Fletcher's final match in temporary charge.

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Brighton had been eliminated by United in each of their previous six FA Cup meetings, but that long-standing hoodoo was finally broken with a deserved 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.

Brajan Gruda's early opener set the tone before Welbeck's emphatic finish doubled the lead.

"Do you know what, I can't really give away the secret," Welbeck told TNT Sports when asked about the catalyst for his late-career renaissance on the south coast.

"If I say too much, drug testers will come to me", he joked.

"But I'm good, I'm clean, I've got good genetics, I've got good family, good genes, my mum and dad, they've blessed me with good genes. It's about hard work. I work out every single day, I look after myself, I eat well, and I prepare well for every single training session. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling fit and strong."

Highlights: Welbeck stars as Brighton dump out Man Utd

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Sunday's rifled finish was Welbeck's ninth goal in 23 appearances in all competitions this season, underlining Fabian Hurzeler’s astute management of the veteran forward. Against Manchester City last week, he had featured for just 17 minutes with this FA Cup tie clearly in mind.

A career spanning nearly two decades, frequently disrupted by injury, has sharpened Welbeck's appreciation of football’s fleeting nature. Now in the latter stages of his playing days, a player capped 42 times for England has not abandoned hope of a final international swansong on the game's biggest stage.

"For me, I'm just focusing on the here and now," he added. "I'm enjoying my time. I know with football, it can change at the click of your fingers.

"Anything can happen, so I'm just really enjoying the present. I'm looking after myself and just controlling what I can control. I feel good."

United’s hopes of salvaging silverware from an erratic season were extinguished despite a late goal from Benjamin Sesko which briefly reduced the deficit. Any thoughts of a dramatic comeback were ended when teenage substitute Shea Lacey was sent off after two quickfire yellow cards.

Despite the chaos surrounding United, Welbeck felt Brighton showed maturity and bravery in capitalising on the tension inside the stadium and the transitional state of their opponents, who now face a 40-game campaign having already exited the Carabao Cup at the hands of Grimsby Town.

"It's a massive win," Welbeck continued. "To come here in the FA Cup, whether it be the FA Cup game, Premier League, it's always a massive occasion. It's one that we're delighted with, to come away and get into the next round.

"There's a few boys that haven't been playing regularly, so to put on a performance like they did out there today, it was huge. It shows the depth of the squad, everybody's working towards one goal, and we're all buzzing inside the dressing room."

Danny Welbeck

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Welbeck was central to everything Brighton did well, back on familiar territory, and later joked that it was "about time" he was named player of the match - a claim that carried more than a hint of justification.

The 35-year-old has been in excellent form throughout the campaign, with TNT Sports commentators Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist both suggesting he merits inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for next summer's World Cup.

Welbeck has not played for his country since September 2018, but seven years on, he is in top form and his goal on Sunday was his second at Old Trafford this season.

TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves even likened Welbeck's movement in the build-up to Gruda's opener to Michael Jordan in his prime.

Hurzeler's reputation continues to grow, having extended his unbeaten record to four games against Pep Guardiola with a 1-1 draw at Manchester City only last week.

Just four days later, Welbeck was again part of a victory over United, meaning Brighton have now won seven of their past 10 meetings with the Red Devils.

"We do a lot of analysis throughout the week," added Welbeck, who has now scored eight times against his boyhood club. "We try and explore their weaknesses, and we try and play to our strengths.

"We know that we've got some good players going forward, so we know the patterns of play that we want to produce on the pitch. I get a lot of help out there on the pitch, and I'm always there to help the others. I think the most important thing for us at Brighton is we have to play together, we have to stick together."

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