GORE BELIEF Star tipped as Reds captain

DAN Gore couldn't help but smile throughout his post-match interview after making his United debut.

- STEVEN RAILSTON

Gore made his senior bow against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup and he fought an excitable grin as he answered questions.

The game also coincided with his 19th birthday and his family were present to enjoy the occasion, which Gore described as 'truly special' after growing up supporting the club.

"It tops the list of birthdays," Gore said while trying to keep his composure. "I don't think words can describe that feeling, seeing the fans, it is everything you've dreamed of, coming true. It means everything." Gore became the 247th player to make his debut from the academy that night, reward for making excellent progress and convincing Erik ten Hag he was ready.

He trained with the first-team for 12 weeks before his debut and is known to 'train every day like his life depends on it', something which his former coaches at Burnley loved about him.

Although Gore is a Salford lad and he idolised Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo when he was a kid, he only joined United in 2018, having previously been at Burnley where he played as a forward, not a midfielder.

"He first came through the door when he was seven or eight," Lewis Craig told the Manchester Evening News. "Burnley were very good at recruiting the Scouse and Manc kids and Dan was a raw, inner-city Manchester lad.

"Those types seemed to have that little bit more extra bite than your local kids. He was a forward when he came to us and he'd either play wide left or right or as the number nine and he was the top scorer through his age groups.

"He was quick and very strong for his size. He always had aggression and he was one of the kids who played on the edge, in terms of maybe making the odd bad challenge, but it was interesting because he was always respectful.

"He had great finishing ability in his younger years, one-on-one, going past people and he always had that bit where he was a winner.