Where is norman whiteside now

Less than a month later, he was given a place in a starting line-up against Stoke City in which he scored his first professional goal. They talk about his aggression. Soon after making his first appearance for United, Whiteside was named in the Northern Ireland squad for the World Cup.

Making his full international debut at the age of 17 years and 41 days in the draw against Yugoslavia, he became the youngest player to compete in the tournament, breaking a record previously set by Pele.

Norman still holds that distinction today. Following his World Cup adventure in Spain, Whiteside continued to break records on the domestic stage.

He also went down in history as the first player of any age to grab goals in both finals in the same season.

Following one of his career-defining moments at Wembley in , Whiteside continued to smash further records and a year later he became the youngest player to reach games for United, aged 21 years and four months; another record he also still holds. At a time when he should have been approaching the peak of his powers as a footballer, injuries began to mount, including knee, Achilles and hamstring problems.

Unfortunately, after only 29 appearances for the Toffees, he announced his retirement in Aged only 26 at the time of his retirement, he briefly took up the assistant manager's position at Northwich Victoria, working alongside another ex-Red and Northern Ireland legend Sammy McIlroy.

Read Duncan Edwards: the original, greatest boy wonder. The duo, along with the leadership of Bryan Robson, got United off to a flying start that season. Whiteside picked up where he had left off before his travelling to the World Cup. His ability to drift past challenges seamlessly mixed with a devastating finish catapulted him to heroic status that season, continuing his excellent progress despite still not reaching the age of Although Whiteside experienced something of a drought in the middle of the season, it was once again that knack for the big occasion that shone through.

In what was an exceptional cup year for United, Whiteside proved to be the hero in the League Cup final at Wembley against Liverpool. With millions watching, Whiteside watched as Gordon McQueen floated a yard pass from defence towards his totemic figure. Watched all the way by Alan Hansen — perhaps the best defender in Europe at the time — Whiteside controlled the ball effortlessly on chest before dragging it round the Scottish centre-half, leaving him hopelessly in his wake.

Keeping his balance and composure in typical fashion, Whiteside buried the ball into the bottom corner, beyond Bruce Grobbelaar. If it was the first time you heard Whiteside speak, his words would be disregarded as conceited, but watching him glide past Hansen in that final, it seems as though the forward was just being honest. Thanks to the brilliance of Ronnie Whelan , Liverpool still managed to lift the League Cup on that fateful afternoon, but just three weeks later, Whiteside had Wembley in his sights once again; his beautiful volley in the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal put United into their second final in the space of a month.

While the initial affair against Brighton finished , history was in the making once more for Whiteside, who met an Alan Davies cross with a perfectly executed glancing header, propelling United to a famous cup victory. While not blessed with blistering speed over short distances, Whiteside was smart and agile in his movements, rendering pace irrelevant most of the time.

Whiteside was shifted into midfield, while Mark Hughes was signed as the new man to lead the line. Ironically, it was Hughes who occupied the midfield slot in the FA Cup final against Everton, when Whiteside scored perhaps his most famous goal in a red shirt. The odds in favour of Everton shortened even more when United had a man sent off in Kevin Moran, after upending Peter Reid in the 78th minute. Then, with the game in extra-time, Whiteside picked his moment.

Cutting in from the right flank, performing a step-over and curling a superb, he whistled an effort round Everton defender Pat van den Hauwe, giving keeper Neville Southall zero hope as it flew beyond him and into the corner. Again and again, he proved to the scorer of great goals for great occasions. Big Paul McGrath was the substitute, and he would be called upon with just over five minutes of the game left to play when fellow Dubliner Kevin Moran was forced off with a head injury not the first nor last time Kevin suffered such an injury!

As they had been in the Milk Cup final, United were again kitted out in their change strip of white shirts and black shorts, and attacked the Holte End where most of the Arsenal support was located in the first half. Minutes later it was role-reversal as Whiteside picked up a Grimes cross from the left and rolled it across the edge of the box for Robson to shoot right-footed, but again Wood was able to smother and hold the ball.

With ten minutes of the half remaining, Arsenal took a hugely undeserved lead with a mess of a goal. He turned back and sent a left-footed cross into the right-side of the United area. Stewart Robson challenged the on-rushing Bailey for the ball, which broke kindly for Vladimir Petrovic to fire back towards the six-yard box from the right touchline.

His effort went straight to Bailey, who inexplicably dropped it onto the prone Robson. A dreadful loose ball from young centre-back Chris Whyte was intercepted by Grimes on the left wing; his bouncing cross into the top of the Arsenal penalty area was met by Robson. As the hordes from Manchester serenaded the players, United turned the screw on their London rivals even more. Both Robson and Whiteside came close to giving the Red Devils a lead their control of proceedings would have fully warranted.

The pressure was relentless on the Arsenal goal. A Grimes corner from the right was met by the soaring Robson, but his downward header was brilliantly parried over his own crossbar by the lunging Wood after Stapleton had touched it goalwards from inside the six-yard box. On the rare occasion Arsenal threatened, Bailey was proving unbeatable, holding onto a fierce drive by Hollins as the clock ticked on.

And then the show was well and truly stolen by the young man from Belfast! With 20 minutes remaining, a long Arsenal clearance was nodded out to Albiston on the left touchline by McQueen.

As the ball bounced into the area, Norman watched it carefully, before meeting it sweetly on the down-bounce and thrashing a fierce left-footed volley past Wood into the far corner.

The veteran goalkeeper had had absolutely no chance! Arsenal, now staring defeat in the face, finally decided to come forward, but Woodcock fluffed a glorious chance to equalise when he could only shoot straight at Bailey, with time to spare only ten yards out. It was a fortunate escape for the men in white shirts. Then United broke on a counter-attack, direct from an Arsenal corner. Whiteside fed the overlapping Grimes, who was eventually superbly tackled at the expense of a corner by the retreating Hollins.

From the corner, Moran sustained a severe cut on his forehead when jumping to challenge for the ball in the air, before Grimes blasted a shot just wide of the post. Whiteside was the hero of the hour, his fabulous volley proving the difference between the sides, though in all honesty United had deserved to win the game by a much more handsome margin.

Whiteside created a little bit of probably unwanted history that evening when he was substituted to give Real Madrid loanee Laurie Cunningham a first appearance in a Manchester United shirt.

The Hornets sat in second position, four points better off than their hosts, so the hopes United had for UEFA Cup qualification via a league placing would be greatly boosted by a victory. They did get the victory, with Cunningham showing his worth, opening the scoring on his home debut after having replaced an injured Arthur Albiston. Ashley Grimes converted a penalty ten minutes later to give the Reds a win. United played a portion of the game with ten men after feisty midfield maestro Remi Moses was sent-off for headbutting Peter Nicholas.

United, on 64 points, had four league games left, and now trailed second-placed Watford by four points. They needed to win the majority of those remaining games and hope the Hornets and third-placed Nottingham Forest slipped up, though both those sides only had two games left to play.

Top of Division One; 2 May Whiteside, having started every game since the defeat at Coventry City just after Christmas, found himself subbed off after an hour the following Monday evening as United strengthened their claim for runners-up spot by winning at home to relegation-haunted Luton Town. An unlikely brace in two first-half minutes from centre-half Paul McGrath had settled United nerves, and after Whiteside was replaced by Scott McGarvey, Stapleton sealed the win with a late third goal.

Top of Division One; 9 May Unfortunately, the Football Association were determined to have all outstanding league fixtures completed before the FA Cup final on 21 May, so United were pressed into action just two days after claiming victory over Luton Town.

Whiteside had again started the game, but goals from Graham Roberts and Steve Archibald gave Spurs the three points. The final league game of a long, grueling season witnessed Atkinson take his troops to Meadow Lane, Nottingham. There they met a Notts County side then managed by a man called Howard Wilkinson; he would feature prominently in English football for decades to come. The boss made a few changes for what was in essence a meaningless fixture, beyond players trying to play their way into his thoughts for the Cup final squad.

Having battled back from going behind early to a Rachid Harkouk goal, United led through McGrath and Muhren with ten minutes to play. However, a late collapse in concentration saw them concede twice in the final three minutes to snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory, Harkouk grabbing a brace. Final Division One Table, 14 May As his first league campaign came to a conclusion, Whiteside had plundered eight goals in 39 appearances. In all honesty the FA Cup final, the first the Red Devils had reached since the late heartbreak of , was the only thing the United fans had thought about since the final whistle had sounded at Villa Park a month before.

Manchester United met newly-relegated Brighton in the FA Cup decider at Wembley on 21 May in front of a full house of , people. The side Big Ron named for the game was as follows :. The substitute was Ashley Grimes. Despite their recent relegation, Brighton had some experienced warriors in their side, not least the central midfield pairing of Irish skipper Tony Grealish and former Liverpool man Jimmy Case. They also had some genuine ability in the form of future England centre-half Gary Stevens and Irish striker Michael Robinson.

Scottish striker Gordon Smith gave the South Coast underdogs a 14th minute lead with a neat header from a Gary Howlett cross from the right side. It was deserved on the early balance of play, as the men in red shirts struggled to deal with the occasion, and was a lead Brighton held until ten minutes into the second half.

By then any thoughts that United would brush the Seagulls aside had been well and truly extinguished. It was going to be a close game that could be decided by a mistake or a moment of individual brilliance. The equaliser arrived after Duxbury and Robson had played a nice one-two, before the right-back crossed towards the near post. Rushing in was Stapleton, who powered the ball into the roof of the net before Stevens could clear it. Then, that moment of brilliance arrived.

After winning a tussle for possession near the left touchline, just inside his own half, Muhren had spotted Ray Wilkins making an uncharacteristic forward surge down the inside-right channel.

It was a simply majestic strike, and would be the goal the former Chelsea man became best known for scoring during a lengthy career. As Ray charged off to celebrate with the delirious fans behind the goal, it seemed that the famous old trophy was destined for Old Trafford. Well, no. Not only did Brighton push forward and deservedly equalise with only three minutes remaining on the clock, but they should arguably have caused one of the great FA Cup final shocks in the dying moments of extra-time.

The late equaliser came from a corner conceded when McQueen did well to nod a dangerous Robinson cross over the byline. Then, late in extra-time on a cut-up pitch, with many socks pulled down around ankles and thoughts turning to a mid-week replay, Brighton should have won the Cup. Case intercepted a loose ball in midfield and hooked it forward for the run of Robinson. He had enough energy left to out-pace and out-muscle Moran, before cutting back inside McQueen and unselfishly squaring the ball across the area to an unmarked Smith…all he had to do was hit it.

Thankfully he delayed long enough to allow Gary Bailey to set himself and save the resultant goal-bound shot with his trailing leg before smothering the loose ball.

Moments later the whistle blew to confirm a replay date the following Thursday evening. United had put their supporters through the full gambit of emotions, from sadness to elation to sweat-stained relief in the space of two hours of frantic football.