Debut: 3-0 win vs Millwall (as sub), January 14th 1989
League Record: 2 games (+5 as sub)
Sold to: Released, Summer of 1994
Though I was only a lal’lad of seven and eight throughout the 1988/89 season, I like to think I was fairly well informed about the team. I had a team poster on my bedroom door that meant I knew all the players in the squad and what they looked like, and a work friend of my dad’s would bring me back a programme from the games he went to see, so I had a vague idea of who was in the youth and reserve teams.
All the same, this was pre-Internet, so when my best friend showed off a list of autographs of United players his dad had got for him, I was a bit confused when I couldn't pick out a name that began with M and had a lot of A's. The answer came soon after when Jules Maiorana made his first start in a televised game against Arsenal. We were on a wretched run of form, barely scoring goals and we somehow sneaked a draw (thanks to a Tony Adams own goal) from a team destined to be champions that year. Maiorana certainly made an impression, skinning their defence on several occasions and though his end product was lacking, he brought some much needed excitement to the fans.
The story was revealed in a copy of either Shoot! or Match magazine days later. It turned out he'd been spotted playing for a small team in his native Cambridgeshire and was snapped up by an impressed Fergie after a trial. He must have continued to do well to merit progression to the first team so quickly, and by all accounts he was expected to become a regular face in the first team.
However, the hoped for progress never happened. Serious injury stopped him making any further progress. After two sub appearances in October of 1989, he was never to be seen in first team action again. Somehow, he was still at the club as late as 1994 which may be held up of the belief Fergie had in the lad, that it was believed he could still make a comeback even at that stage of the game. However, he was subsequently let go and briefly played in Sweden with David Wilson before packing in the game. He rocked up playing for us in those "Masters" tournaments a couple of years ago.
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