Name: Luke CHADWICK
Shirt Number: 15
Position: Midfielder (Right)
Date of Birth: November 18, 1980
Birthplace: Cambridge, England
Transfer Fee: N/A
As a schoolboy, Luke played for Cambridge &
District, Cambridgeshire and Arsenal's School of Excellence.
He initially joined United as a trainee in June
1997, and then signed as a professional in February 1999.
The skilful winger made his first team debut
in the Worthington Cup defeat at Aston Villa in October 1999,
but then spent most of the remainder of the season on loan to
United's Belgian partners, Royal Antwerp.
Luke scored on his debut for Antwerp, and also
his debut for England Under-21s, in their 5-0 win over Luxembourg.
He had previously been capped by the national team at Under-18
level.
After helping Royal Antwerp to gain promotion
to the Belgian First Division in 2000, Luke extended his loan
spell there into the early part of the 2000/01 season.
When he returned to Manchester in mid-October,
he was almost immediately given another first team chance by Sir
Alex Ferguson, again in the Worthington Cup. This time Luke helped
the Reds to win 3-0 at Watford, with a performance that kept him
in the first team squad for the rest of the 2000/01 season.
Luke acknowledged that further senior appearances
would be limited by David Beckham being the first-choice winger,
but insisted he was still in a privileged position.
"David Beckham is the best in the world
in his position but being able to learn from him and the rest
of the United players is good enough for me at the moment,"
said Luke.
"I have to believe in myself, though, and
keep believing that one day perhaps an opportunity will come.
David can play in the centre of midfield so there might be something
there if that ever happens... but then I suppose we also have
a lot of great players in that role keeping him out!"
In November 2000, Luke made his League debut,
as a late substitute at home to Middlesbrough. Later that same
month, he started a Premiership match for the first time, in the
3-0 win at Derby County.
Another first, albeit an unwanted one, was the
red card he was shown in the home defeat by Liverpool, when referee
Mike Riley decided he'd committed a professional foul on Vladimir
Smicer. He was sent off in the 89th minute, having only come on
as sub in the 80th.
Luke was used as a substitute several times in
the latter stages of 2000/01, and almost rivalled Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
for the tag of super-sub by scoring his first goal in the 3-0
win at Bradford City and an equaliser at Leeds United. He also
looked impressive when he was brought on against Bayern Munich,
almost sparking a revival for the Reds in the second leg of their
quarter-final defeat.
By April 2001, Luke was collecting his first
Championship medal, and hoping for even greater involvement in
the first team in the following season.
