Tom Heaton is ‘buzzing’ to return to Manchester United, according to former team-mate Phil Marsh.

The veteran former England goalkeeper Heaton moved back to Old Trafford today after eleven years away from the club, signing on a free transfer after his contract at Aston Villa expired. He has signed a two-year contract to run until the summer of 2023 – and will, funnily enough, be hoping to make his debut for the club in his second spell!

Heaton has enjoyed a good career, most notably at Burnley, where he frustrated United a fair few times in a run of form that earned him three caps for the national side.

His return to United was confirmed earlier today and his former youth team colleague, Phil Marsh, has revealed Heaton is delighted to be back at the club where he grew up.

“I talked to him when there was whispers about it a while back and he was a bit quiet, understandably so, considering,” Marsh told TalkOfTheDevils exclusively. “But as soon as it was announced today, I messaged him and sent him a few pictures from back in the day, when we played together in the Milk Cup and the reserve league.”

“He can’t wait to get started. He’s buzzing, genuinely made up, and I’m buzzing for him.”

Marsh believes that even at the age of 35, Heaton can provide competition for the starting position.

“He’s a great goalkeeper, and he’s been really unlucky with injuries,” says Marsh. “There is a lot of speculation about the goalkeeping position at the club at the moment and Tom’s arrival ensures there’s plenty of good competition.”

Phil Marsh was speaking exclusively to TalkOfTheDevils.

In late July, the TalkOfTheDevils YouTube channel will launch properly, and Phil will have a weekly show with Keane Franey on Friday evenings where he will speak about Manchester United past and present.

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