“I think the proof will be in the pudding. We have to see it now, he’s come back in straight away, he looked very good at the weekend against West Ham – can he maintain that until the end of the season now?

“That will be the deciding factor on whether it was the right decision. I think he needed it. Sometimes you need to sit out and take stock, reboot yourself and go again.

“I think David de Gea was a good example.

“When he first came and he was playing and he made a few mistakes, I remember the manager calling me and a few of the experienced lads into his office, saying ‘listen, I’ve got David de Gea sitting there, playing against Liverpool at Anfield, huge game, pressure situation, do I go with the kid or do I bring someone in with experience’.

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