Football365.com
Kieran Richardson's exit leaves just three members of
ManYoo's 2003 Youth Cup winners at the club. For now. But whatever
happened to Lee Sims? And Phil Picken? We take a good
gander...
Luke Steele: Goalkeeper bought from Peterborough for £500,000 in
2002 at the tender age of 17 but went on to make a grand total of
zero appearances for ManYoo before leaving for West Brom for
nothing in 2006. Needless to say, he couldn't get a game for them
either. In fact, the only club Steele has played for in the last
five years has been Coventry.
Lee Sims: We confess we have absolutely no idea where this
(presumably) right-back is today. Unless of course he is the man
behind Lee Sims Chocolates or plays piano with the Platte River
Band.
Phil Bardsley: Still at ManYoo. Just about. Has started three
Premiership games with United in the last four years and ended last
season being underwhelming at Aston Villa, who pointedly did not
want to make the move permanent.
Paul McShane: Moved to the Baggies in the summer of 2006 with
Steele but has fared rather better - becoming a regular in the West
Brom side and earning a call-up to the full Irish squad. Still to
play in the Premiership - the furthest he got at ManYoo was being
assigned a squad number.
Lee Lawrence: Left-back released to join Scottish side Livingston
after a loan spell with Shrewsbury Town. Since disappeared from the
game - though his 'very best of' is available from Amazon.
Chris Eagles: The only player from this list (barring Kieran) to
feature in the Premiership with ManYoo last season; he scored his
first goal against Everton in April after returning from a loan
spell with NEC Nijmegen, where he was usually used from the bench.
With the wealth of midfielders at Old Trafford, expect him to be
heading out on loan again some time soon.
Kieran Richardson: England international (!) who has joined
Sunderland for £5.5m (!), proving beyond doubt that Roy Keane is
still a massive, massive fan of ManYoo.
David Jones: Captain of this Youth Cup-winning side, but never made
a Premiership appearance for ManYoo, though impressive loan spells
at Preston and Derby did mean that he commanded a £1m fee when he
joined the Rams in January. A genuinely good box-to-box midfielder,
he'll be back at Old Trafford in Derby colours this season.
Ben Collett: Midfielder currently conducting a court case against
Middlesbrough and their former player Gary Smith after a double
fracture of his leg sustained during a bad challenge. Released by
ManYoo, last seen playing for AGOVV in Holland after a spell with
the NZ Knights.
Eddie Johnson: Striker given a free transfer in 2006 after making
the grand total of one substitute appearance for ManYoo in the
Carling Cup. Joined Bradford, who he helped into League Two with
his meagre total of three league goals.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake: Striker who joined Plymouth for £200,000 last
season after two Carling Cup appearances for ManYoo (he has a 'one
in two' scoring record). Has done okay at Argyle with ten league
goals in his first season. Interestingly, he's a Liverpool
fan.
THE SUBS
Mark Howard: Defender now on the books of Danish side
Brondby.
David Poole: Midfielder who recently joined Stockport from Yeovil
for £100,000.
Ramon Calliste: Remarkably on the books of both ManYoo and
Liverpool but has recently been released by Scunthorpe
United.
Tom Heaton: Goalkeeper still on ManYoo's books but yet to
play.
Phil Picken: Defender/midfielder on the books of Chesterfield.
