Did he really play for us?

Matab8r

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Here is one that surprised me ( arsenal following mate told me a while ago) - a former English captain also technicaly an academy player - David Platt

I found a few pics but for the life of me could not paste across. ( new phone)
 

Sayros

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Maybe I'm playing this game wrong but, in this picture, even Obertan himself seems to be is wondering what the hell he's doing here.
 

Nero

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Anyone tell me who the feck this is? I'm thinking Lee Sharpe but not 100%
William Prunier.

French defender on trial for us for a few weeks December '95 - January '96. Played a couple of games for us including a shambolic 4-1 loss to Tottenham.
 

simplyared

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2nd from the right Johnny Giles in an iconic picture after the win at Wembley against Leicester 1963. He said he would "haunt" Sir Matt for putting him in the freeze box and forcing him out of the door. He actually played alongside Law and Charlton for 4 yrs, but it's not his time at Man Utd he's remembered for. Sir Matt certainly got that one wrong. Did he really play for us?
 

Maticmaker

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2nd from the right Johnny Giles in an iconic picture after the win at Wembley against Leicester 1963. He said he would "haunt" Sir Matt for putting him in the freeze box and forcing him out of the door. He actually played alongside Law and Charlton for 4 yrs, but it's not his time at Man Utd he's remembered for. Sir Matt certainly got that one wrong. Did he really play for us?
He certainly did, I remember seeing him in a reserve match at OT, way back, his partner in crime in the midfield that day was his eventual brother-in-law Nobby Stiles, and Alex Dawson was Centre-forward. Think sir Matt had greased the skids already by then!
 

2cents

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Here is one that surprised me ( arsenal following mate told me a while ago) - a former English captain also technicaly an academy player - David Platt

I found a few pics but for the life of me could not paste across. ( new phone)
 

berbasloth4

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for any northern irish league followers david jeffery ex linfield manager was on our books as a youth player
 

simplyared

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He certainly did, I remember seeing him in a reserve match at OT, way back, his partner in crime in the midfield that day was his eventual brother-in-law Nobby Stiles, and Alex Dawson was Centre-forward. Think sir Matt had greased the skids already by then!
Sounds like you were around the same time as me. I was 10 turning 11 when that picture was taken. Remember Giles, big Alex Dawson etc. Remembering players who played for us is not exactly what the thread is about as Giles had 99 apps for us and I saw him on many occasions when I was a lad. However no one could have foreseen he would go on to be the great player he was in that midfield combo with Billy Bremner and bite your legs Norman Hunter. For that reason his name fits the thread and is, with hindsight, the one we should have never let go.
 

Maticmaker

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Sounds like you were around the same time as me. I was 10 turning 11 when that picture was taken. Remember Giles, big Alex Dawson etc. Remembering players who played for us is not exactly what the thread is about as Giles had 99 apps for us and I saw him on many occasions when I was a lad. However no one could have foreseen he would go on to be the great player he was in that midfield combo with Billy Bremner and bite your legs Norman Hunter. For that reason his name fits the thread and is, with hindsight, the one we should have never let go.
Yes I agree, Giles was one of only a few players (in my lifetime) who went on to 'bigger and better things' after leaving United;, e.g. Cristiano Ronaldo , Gerald Pique and arguably David Beckham, not many more after these? You can argue a few others played out their careers else where like Evra, Schmeichel, etc. but few achieve anything better than what they had at United, so can't be considered to have 'got away'.
 

Fingeredmouse

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2nd from the right Johnny Giles in an iconic picture after the win at Wembley against Leicester 1963. He said he would "haunt" Sir Matt for putting him in the freeze box and forcing him out of the door. He actually played alongside Law and Charlton for 4 yrs, but it's not his time at Man Utd he's remembered for. Sir Matt certainly got that one wrong. Did he really play for us?
Is that Lee Sharpe fourth from the left?
 

2 man midfield

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Schneiderlin. I’m not convinced he wasn’t swallowed up by a black hole on his way out, such is the extent he hasn’t been seen since.
 

Vidyoyo

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Not particularly obscure but imagine if he was 2-3 years younger, we would have had the perfect successor to Rio/Vida instead of wasting so many years on dumb and dumber :(
I remember being really excited about Pique and Rossi when they were in our youth team. They were definitely stand out talents back then.
 

horsechoker

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Not particularly obscure but imagine if he was 2-3 years younger, we would have had the perfect successor to Rio/Vida instead of wasting so many years on dumb and dumber :(
I think he would've gone back to Barca anyway. They would have done what they did to Arsenal with Fabregas "come home Gérard"
 

Nikelesh Reddy

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I was very surprised to find out that George Graham played for United from 1972-1974.Obviously he was considered to be great manager and he won lots of trophies across different clubs,so I was surprised that very little was spoken/written about him being a former United player.
 

BazzaBear

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I know that Dion Dublin played for us. But it still looks weird when I see him in a United kit.
 

Maticmaker

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I was very surprised to find out that George Graham played for United from 1972-1974.Obviously he was considered to be great manager and he won lots of trophies across different clubs,so I was surprised that very little was spoken/written about him being a former United player.
That's because there was little to talk about.
Graham could play some decent balls through the channels to front men, but much better manager than player.
Didn't he go down with Tommy doc's side in 74?
 

Chipper

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Nicky Wood.

Heard of him for the first time 3 or 4 years ago and it was a bit of a surprise. Thought I'd recognise all the names of United players who had played for the first team during my lifetime but he was one I never had. To be fair I was 6-7 years old when he played and he only had 4 appearances to his name. Still, I'd have thought I'd have known him.

He was forced to retire with a bad injury aged 22. Suppose it's similar to Tony Gill's story not too long after although he played a few more games. I was a little older and actually at the Forest away game when Gill suffered his career-ending injury so I'm always going to remember him.