The 23 year old has been out on loan spells to Leicester, Watford and Wigan and managed to find the net without too much of a problem, but in a United shirt it began to look like the breakthrough would never come for the player.
And after missing a golden chance in the first half of Wednesday's game against Newcastle in the Capital One Cup, he received a bit of a rollocking from Sir Alex.
That did the trick as he came up with a goal that doubled United's lead over the Magpies and proved in the end to be the match winner.
Cleverley told the club's official website: "It has been playing on my mind a little bit.
"I have always scored goals when I have gone on loan, so it was bugging me that I had not been doing it for my club or my country. The gaffer gave me a bit at half-time for missing the one in the first-half, so it was nice to stroke that one in.
"We practice those sorts of finishes a lot so when the ball came to me I knew what I was going to do. I have got the first one out of the way now. Hopefully they will all come at once."
/p