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Recently, we've focused on David Beckham's arrival in Major League Soccer, next season's English Premier League race and Alexi Lalas' controversial comments on the quality in both leagues. We thought the time was ripe to interview a man who could offer expertise on all three subjects.

Tony Whelan turned professional for Manchester United in the 1970s and played briefly for Manchester City before moving to the NASL, making 111 appearances for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and 64 for the Atlanta Chiefs. In the process, he played alongside and against some of the

greatest players of all time, such as Pelé, George Best, Gordon Banks, Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.

Now a youth coach at Manchester United, Whelan is also perfectly placed to offer a fascinating insight into the world's most famous club and the development of players within it.

SI.com: Do you agree with Lalas' comments that because of foreign imports into the EPL, the development of English players has been stifled?

Whelan: Absolutely. EPL clubs, especially those in the Champions League, need world-class players, making it difficult to blood young talent in the first team. However, that's a challenge young English players will have to meet. It needs to be turned into a positive with young English players emulating the skills and attitudes of top foreign imports like Gianfranco Zola and Eric Cantona.

SI.com: How does the standard of youth development in England compare with other leading soccer nations?

Whelan: The English system is good, but suffers some defects, principally that kids aren't playing as much spontaneous football anymore -- it's a syndrome John McEnroe described as "affluenza." The incredible skills many South American players have are typically developed by themselves while playing in the street. The kids at United are only with us 10 hours a week, so they need to be playing and watching a lot of football outside of the club.

SI.com: What's special about youth development at Manchester United?

Whelan: For the youngsters, it's an honor to be at such a great club, and they achieve more due to the higher standards set. Plus they know there's a heritage of bringing young players through to the first team, and they benefit from our world-class facilities. In terms of coaching, we aim to ensure the boys love playing the game and learn to take responsibility for their own development, both on and off the pitch. It's like being in a maze; the satisfaction you derive is from finding your own way out.

SI.com: Can you spot the stars of the future when they are in their early teens?

Whelan: Rarely, although an exception is Wes Brown, who stood out as a future England player by age 13. Players change so much mentally and physically, and there are so many distractions and diversions these days that it's very hard to tell.

READ THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW AT SI.COM Source: SI.com