Tom can still play a Pique o blinder

Brown backs former United pal Lawrence to hit the heights at Rangers just as Gerard did at Barca

- ANDY NEWPORT

TOM LAWRENCE aspired to play a starring role at the Theatre of Dreams-only to have hopes dashed as he was made to exit stage left.

Of course, he's not the only Manchester United kid who discovered shifting the headline acts from the Old Trafford set was easier said than done.

Wes Brown remembers having future World Cup-winner Gerard Pique as a team-mate.

He'd later become a box-office hit in Barcelona, helping the Catalans to three Champions League titles and nine La Ligas.

But in his early days at United, the classy centre-back was left to cut a figure of frustration after being cast as understudy to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Lawrence's failure to upstage the likes of Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs meant he was also forced to leave a club he'd joined at the age of seven, bowing out after just one firstteam appearance.

But Brown is delighted to see there has been a successful second act for the Welshman's career, with big performances for Leicester and Derby leading him to his current role at Rangers.

And he reckons the grounding provided by his Old Trafford education will ensure he stays in character as Philippe Clement's men aim to bring the curtain down on this season's Treble charge.

Former Red Devils ace Brown, who was in Edinburgh this week to announce a Murray field friendly between his old side and Rangers this summer, said: "I remember Tom when he was in the youth team.