22. Tony Gill

Signed from: Youth team
Debut: 1-1 draw vs Southampton, January 3rd 1987
League Record: 5 games (+5 as sub), 1 goal
Sold to: Retired due to injury, December 1990

We've already covered Lee Martin, Lee Sharpe, Russell Beardsmore and Mark Robins, but Tony Gill was the first of the initial "Fergie's Fledglings" to make the first team. That was in the first few weeks of the new era under Govan's finest, but injury then put Gill out of contention for a couple of years.

When he came back into the first team, an injury crisis had seen Gill and other youngsters thrown into action. On finally being given a start, he took his chance with no little aplomb, scoring a great goal in the FA Cup third round replay at QPR and following that up by kneeing one in against Millwall. Things were looking good for Gill, who was highly rated and could play in either central midfield or in defence. Lee Martin, a team-mate from youth to first team, was convinced he was good enough to play for England someday.

However, it all came crashing down in a game against Nottingham Forest that Spring. A tackle saw horrific damage to his leg, and he never recovered. Wiki sez he was coaching at Bath City in the mid 90s, and even played a couple of games before being let go due to lack of finance, but since then I can find nothing about him. United do have a doctor at the club called Tony Gill, but I believe he's another person.

Youthful talent cruelly wasted, then. From hearing all that's been said about him, I would loved to have seen him in the shirt more.