Teenager Darron Gibson became the third Red in 12 months to win
an international cap before starting a competitive match for United
when he appeared in the Republic Of Ireland's 4-0 win over Denmark
last night.
Gibson came on at half-time for Andy Reid and had an immediate
impact when his 54th-minute shot proved too hot for goalkeeper
Jesper Christiansen. The Dane parried the ball into the path of
Shane Long, who slotted home his first of the night.
Last September, Reds defender Jonny Evans played in Northern
Ireland's memorable 3-2 win over Spain, while goalkeeper Ben Foster
made his England bow (also against Spain) in February 2007. Both
players are still to pull on a United shirt in a competitive
match.
Gibson, on the other hand, has tasted first-team action, albeit
just once as a 76th-minute substitute in United's 2005 Carling Cup
tie against Barnet. He spent last season on loan at Royal Antwerp,
where he played a large part in the Belgian side's push for
promotion, and is highly regarded by coaching staff at Old
Trafford.
More recently, Gibson joined United on the recent pre-season tour
of Asia and played against Shenzhen FC and Guangzhou
Pharmaceutical. He then turned out against Doncaster Rovers and
Glentoran FC earlier this month.