FIVE Manchester United Players To Keep An Eye On During The World Cup

With the World Cup now just a few days away, here are five Manchester United players to keep an eye on in Brazil this summer.

1) Robin van Persie - Netherlands

Louis van Gaal is now van Persie's boss at both club and international level and I think that will see him get back to his best. Having scored a decent number of goals (12) last season despite playing just 21 Premier League games, the 30-year-old is on track to make an impact this summer.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero are likely to be up there in terms of goals, and seeing Messi World Cup odds of 15/2 to be to top goalscorer it's clear that bookies are expecting a strong return from the little Argentine, but I think van Persie will be a contender for the golden boot.

2) David De Gea - Spain

For me, De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League and probably in my top 5 in the world. For that reason, I have put him on my list to watch in the World Cup.

3) Wayne Rooney - England

Rooney is the main man for England this summer in a sense that if he performs then we have a real chance of progressing into a decent place in the competition. Last season he scored 17 Premier League goals in 29 games and claimed 10 assists.

4) Juan Mata - Spain

Mata had a mixed start to life at Old Trafford but generally looked sharp. He completed 89% of his passes and will be keen to impress on the big stage before his first full season at United next term.

5) Shinji Kagawa - Japan

He may be a misfit at United but he is Japan's talisman and will be out to show van Gaal what he's made of. In a group of Colombia, Greece and Ivory Coast, I expect him to have a good tournament.