Danny Rose is perfectly suited to Manchester United... £50m switch would complete journey from figure of fun to best full-back in country

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If last summer was a low point in Danny Rose's career, this January could turn out to be a highlight.

The Spurs full-back went into the break carrying a knee injury. By the end of it, he had potentially strained his relationship with his manager after a tell-all newspaper interview.

But that seems as though it will pan out to just be a temporary stop on a career that has seen him develop into a brilliant player since leaving Leeds as a 17-year-old, with Rose now on the cusp of a £50million move to Manchester United.

Spurs defender Danny Rose is on the cusp of making a £50million move to Manchester United

The now-27-year-old made his breakthrough after a series of loan spells away from Tottenham

At the time of his £1m move to Spurs in 2007, then-Leeds chairman Ken Bates commented: 'He's disappeared into the obscurity of the Spurs training ground. These things should be remembered when parents are considering their son's future. Fast buck now or long-term career prospects?'

Never let it be said that Bates is an oracle when it comes to players leaving his former clubs.

Even so, Rose took his time to get going at Tottenham. There were sporadic appearances around loan spells in the Championship at Watford, Peterborough and Bristol City.

One of those, his league debut against Arsenal in April 2010, saw him win the goal of the season award. He struck a volley from closer to the half way line than the goal, beating Wojciech Szczesny and helping his team to a 2-1 win.

Rose made an impact in April 2010, scoring a spectacular goal against rivals Arsenal

Despite the goal, he was hooked at half-time and barely played for Spurs for four seasons

But he was hooked at half-time. Even after that telling impact in a huge game, it took a spell at Sunderland for Rose to prove his worth to those watching at White Hart Lane. 

At the Stadium of Light, he showed a capacity to make it in the Premier League.

His attack-minded nature made him ideally suited to play as a full-back in the modern game.

When he returned he was thrown in by Andres Villas-Boas and also used by Tim Sherwood. Unfortunately for Rose, he was something of a figure of fun at the club. Yes, his performances were good, but they were not on the level of a side challenging for the Champions League. It seemed he'd never truly make it.

It took a loan spell at Sunderland for Rose to prove his worth to the Tottenham hierarchy

That all changed with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentinian took a still raw defender, one who spent a lot of his youth career in midfield, and turned him into the finest left-back in the country.

Rose continued to be a threat going forward but combined that with a brilliant understanding of his role as a defender. In that 2014-15 campaign he provided four assists but also won over 50 per cent of his tackles.

There has been a continual improvement. Last season, Rose and Kyle Walker were undoubtedly the best wide defenders in the league.

The South Yorkshire pair formed a good friendship and spent their time watching others in their role worldwide to learn how to improve their games. Dani Alves, Philipp Lahm and Marcelo were the examples cited.

Last season, Rose and Kyle Walker, the team's full-backs, pushed each other to improve

And during their holidays following Euro 2016 they both went for daily runs and spent time in the gym, looking for the physical improvement Pochettino would have demanded.

Former Wolves defender Mark Rankine, Rose's uncle, told the Evening Standard last season: 'They drive each other on. If Kyle is playing well, Danny looks across from the other side of the pitch and wants to match him.'

After an impressive first half of the 2016-17 campaign, Rose suffered a knee injury. It was the first low point he'd had since making his breakthrough, and he admitted he sought help during that difficult patch.

'I have started seeing a psychologist to try and help me think positively,' he said. 'I have started reading books, too. This injury has been one of the most difficult periods of my life.

An injury Rose suffered last season had a telling psychological impact on the left-back

'Last season I was doing well, I felt untouchable, I felt like I was one of the best, I felt that if I carried on with that form, anything could have happened, then the injury happened.

'It humbled me, it brought me back down to earth, it handed me a reality check. It just made me realise that football can be taken away from you at any given point.'

That might have be part of the reason behind his desire to leave Tottenham, something he laid out in the interview this summer. As much as wages and Spurs' recruitment policy came up, medals might be another motivation.

Rose has realised that there is a finite amount of football left in his legs. With no honours to his name, it might be time to go to a team that seems more able to make investments to ensure achievements. There will be no googling of new signings for Rose at Old Trafford.

He has been used less frequently this campaign, although he has seemingly recovered well

Walker left Spurs for the same reason. And he is almost certainly going to be rewarded with a Premier League medal this season. 

He'd also be perfect for United, especially in Jose Mourinho's now preferred 3-4-3 system.

Pochettino's willingness to be flexible with his formations means Rose has been schooled in both a four-man defence and in a wide role at wing-back.

That attack-minded attitude would work perfectly for when he lines up on the left of a four. His defensive nous means he could slot into a back four when Mourinho demands it.

Pochettino's tactical flexibility means that Rose will be perfectly suited for Jose Mourinho

And United need a player like Rose too. They currently have winger Ashley Young slotting in on the left. He is on form but form is temporary. Momentum is probably carrying him further than his talent in the role will take him.

Luke Shaw, the player most naturally suited to the berth, is not a player Mourinho seems to rate. Even worse, on the rare opportunity he has been given, he has seemed off the boil and a shell of the player he was prior to his horror leg break.

Rose might not get his move in January but there is no way United are going to give up the chase for him. Not for £50m, and not when he is the player he is. A lack of appearances for Spurs in the league this season are hardly going to hold them back.

Relationship between Rose and Pochettino has seemingly suffered, given his lack of games

Pochettino himself does not seem that bothered about Rose. His decision to break ranks with the interview is something the disciplinarian will simply not tolerate. This, despite public denials, must be why he was dropped for the north London derby and has played in just two league matches.

The 27-year-old started his path as a footballer in West Yorkshire and will be fulfilling a desire to return north if he completes his journey, albeit on the other side of the Pennines.

If he gets his move, he'll be swapping white for red. It's time for a War of the Rose to break out.