Joe Rothwell is confident he can make it at Manchester United.

Rothwell was recalled from his loan spell at Barnsley earlier in the season after falling ill and, as a result, the midfielder lost a lot of weight and had to undergo an operation to remove his tonsils.

He appeared on the bench for the first time for the Reds on Wednesday in the victory over Watford after impressing Louis van Gaal with his work for the Under-21 side.

"It's been another mini pre-season for me, just building myself back up, and now it's all worked out nicely and I'm back on the pitch playing again now," the 21-year-old told MUTV.

"The plan for me now is to kick on and play as many minutes as I can and hopefully push into the first team.

"I've had a little bit of bad luck in the past but hopefully my luck will change now.

"Looking at a few of the young lads who have come through this year, it makes you open your eyes and think: 'That's what I want to be doing'."