Name: Nicholas BUTT
Shirt Number: 8
Position: Midfielder (Centre)
Date of Birth: January 21, 1975
Birthplace: Manchester, England
Transfer Fee: N/A
Nicky Butt was
born in Manchester on 21 January 1975.
After playing for Oldham and Greater Manchester
Schoolboys, he signed for Manchester United as a trainee in July
1991, turning professional in January 1993.
He was a part of the successful Youth Cup side
in 1992, scoring twice in the first leg of the Youth Cup Final
against Crystal Palace. He was a finalist a year later, but this
time on the losing side.
His first team debut came on 21 November 1992,
as a substitute for Paul Ince in the 65th minute. Apart from Ryan
Giggs, Nicky Butt was the first of Fergie's Fledglings to break
into the first team.
By the end of the 1994/95 season he had earned
himself a place in the starting line up for the F.A. Cup final,
only to finish on the losing side. Twelve months later Butt was
to collect a winners' medal in the 1996 F.A. Cup final, completing
a League and cup double for himself and Manchester United.
During the early part of the 1998/99 season Butt's
progress was hampered by two consecutive sendings off against
Barcelona and Arsenal. The subsequent suspensions forced him to
miss important games and he ended up virtually sharing the role
of midfield partner to Roy Keane with Paul Scholes, depending
on the requirements of particular matches.
The suspension of both Keane and Scholes from
the Champions League Final in Barcelona guaranteed Butt a place
in the starting line-up. Again, he played an important - if unsung
- role in another epic night for Manchester United.
He has represented England at schoolboy, youth,
Under-21 and full international level. He was also a member of
the England Under-18 squad that lifted the European Championship
in July 1993. Butt added to his medal collection in 1999/2000,
claiming a fourth Premiership gong .
His tenacious playing style meant that his name
was a regular fixture in the referee's notebook, but four goals
in 41 appearances showed Nicky Butt's importance to the team.
Newspapers suggested he would move in the summer, but with constant
praise from the manager he was happy to stay.
His contribution to the United team did not go
unnoticed by the international selectors and he was recalled to
the England squad after an absence of nineteen months.
Domestically, Butt won his fifth championship
medal with United in 2000/01 after his good form forced the manager,
at one stage, to play all three midfielders in the same side.
Despite a trophyless term with the Reds in 2001/02,
Nicky was called up to the England squad for the 2002 World Cup
finals in Japan and South Korea. After an injury to Steven Gerrard,
Butty became an integral part of Sven Goran Eriksson's team, to
the extent where the Swede called the Red his most important player.
There was also praise from Brazil legend Pele,
who called Nicky "the best player at the tournament."
Although knocked out at the quarter-final stage, Butt returned
to Manchester a man reborn.
