Fosu-Mensah deserves Manchester United starting role- legend Paul Parker

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker says Ghanaian youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah deserves to start ahead of Antonio Valencia.

Manager Jose Mourinho excluded the former Ajax youth team player from the squad which beat Bournemouth 3-1 in their Premier League opener.

But Parker says he is miles ahead of the experienced Valencia who provided the cross which resulted in United's second goal scored by Wayne Rooney.

Parker, speaking exclusively to 888Sport, said: 'The position United have to worry about is right-back. They have Fosu-Mensah who is absolutely perfect. He is a very good defender and in the final third he's as cool as a cucumber. He never panicked last season and has an arrogance on the ball. He would be a better bet than Valencia who is fine up to a point but doesn't have a trick. The thing that goes against Fosu-Mensah is that he's young and Mourinho doesn't like young players. It's the same old story and if that's what is keeping him out of the side that's a concern.

'For me it doesn't make any sense to pick Valencia against Bournemouth. He can't defend and by that I don't mean he can't tackle but he doesn't sense danger and his positional sense is poor.

'Fosu-Mensah is a young player who has done very well so you then look at the manager who has to give something back, to make him feel a part of the team. I had that with Gary Neville. I was told by Sir Alex that Neville had to play because he was worried that if he didn't play him he'd start to lose his confidence. That's how Sir Alex worked with young players. When he saw they were ready but there was an older pro ahead of them he'd look at the long-term picture."