Danny Welbeck finally reaches career milestone as Brighton striker closes in on most prolific season with penalty in win over Wolves

Danny Welbeck ne'er managed it astatine Manchester United. Not astatine Arsenal either. Never arsenic a breakthrough teenage star, nor arsenic a seasoned big-club beforehand antheral successful his 20s.

At last, 17 years connected from his Premier League debut, astatine the ripe property of 34, helium yet did it. His first-half punishment astatine Wolves took him into treble figures successful a top-flight run for the archetypal clip successful his adjacent two-decade career.

He managed 9 goals for Manchester United nether Sir Alex Ferguson successful 2011-12 and again successful 2013-14 nether David Moyes. Never since. Not until now, successful his 5th play astatine Brighton, arsenic helium continues to thrive successful the glow of the fading light.

There is, of course, 1 large crushed for this. Injuries person everlastingly blotched Welbeck’s career, from genu problems astatine the commencement of his vocation that ended successful country that ruled him retired of Euro 2016, to repeated hamstring issues successful caller years.

Never, though, has helium played arsenic galore league minutes oregon started arsenic galore games arsenic helium has this season. It’s wherefore the archetypal radical Fabian Hurzeler wanted to convey erstwhile helium spoke successful his post-match property league aft Brighton’s triumph astatine Wolves was the aesculapian staff.

Brighton’s caput of show Gary Walker and Florian Pfab, the club’s caput of medical, person worked wonders successful shaping Welbeck’s grooming schedules and idiosyncratic treatments to support him fitter than ever. Hurzeler believes Welbeck inactive has much years astatine the apical level.

‘It is simply a bully milestone to have,’ said Welbeck afterwards. ‘I'm looking guardant to improving. We person 2 much games near and hopefully I'll get immoderate much goals.’

His 11 goals crossed each competitions leaves him conscionable 1 shy of equalling his astir prolific play crossed each competitions, erstwhile helium netted 12 for United successful 2011-12.

Welbeck converted his punishment astatine Molineux aft Matheus Cunha brought down right-back Mats Wieffer, who hailed the power of his experienced team-mate.

‘He was truly important for us,’ said Wieffer. ‘We didn’t play the champion successful the 2nd half. We were truly sloppy with the shot but helium tried to support it and from determination we had a spot much patience 1 the ball. That truly helped us. In the past mates of games, helium is truly a people constituent for us.

‘He is simply a large influence. We don’t truly person a batch of experienced players, we person a batch of younger groups. He knows what it is to play successful the Premier League, helium has played present his full life.’