The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 119: The former youth training treasure

Whiteside, the Red Devils' youth training gem and the darling of the Theatre of Dreams, bid farewell to his Red Devils career at the age of 24. He once shone on many Red Devils fans' nights, but he could not illuminate Ferguson's eyes.

--Inscription

Ferguson's purge was ruthless and the most difficult thing for the Red Devils fans to accept was the sale of Whiteside.

The Red Devils fans have watched Whiteside grow up in the youth training camp since he was a little kid. The fans cheered for him when he debuted early, and they also felt particularly sorry for him when he was injured for the team. The fans also remember that Whiteside fought with injuries and won the cup championship for the Red Devils. He is the best role model for the youth training of the Theatre of Dreams.

Many Red Devils fans placed their high hopes for the club's rise on Whiteside, but now Ferguson is actually going to clean him out.

Whiteside was only 1989 years old in 24, and Ferguson sold him at this age, which was unacceptable to many fans. How could Ferguson be willing to sell a club youth training gem, a player who loved the club since childhood, who became famous at a young age, and who was still young despite injuries?

诺曼-怀特塞德1965年5月7日出生在北爱尔兰，很小时候就是红魔球迷。怀特塞德在5岁时就展现出足球天赋，在6岁时就有其他小孩7、8岁那么高大，和同龄人踢球简直是虐菜。

Norman Whiteside was attracted by Best, Charlton and others when he was very young. He actively learned the movements and skills of the stars and was very self-conscious and hardworking. He could practice every day when he was 7 years old. Others thought it was extremely boring, but he still enjoyed it every day.

Whiteside has been tall since he was a child, which gives him an advantage. On the first day of training with the Red Devils youth team, the strength and speed he showed stunned the youth team coaches. Whiteside happily spent the Red Devils youth team and youth team stages. He is tall and strong, like a small tank. His header skills give him another weapon. His aggressive attack makes him unstoppable, and his shots are powerful and angled.

The commentator on the scene shouted, "This is a rare young talent in British football." The fans immediately wrote an exclusive song for him, which quickly became popular.

Whiteside soon got his chance to play for the Red Devils and soared to fame. Not only that, Whiteside was also called up to the national team, becoming the youngest player in Northern Ireland's history. At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Whiteside became the youngest player to appear at the age of 17 years and 41 days, breaking the record of the King of Football Pele.

Northern Ireland was strong in this World Cup. They eliminated the strong teams Portugal and Sweden in the qualifiers. In the final group stage, they drew with Yugoslavia and defeated Spain, and proudly advanced to the next round as the first in the group. Whiteside, wearing the No. 16 jersey, was not only a substitute, but also a surprise player in the team. He used his excellent physical strength to attack and disrupt the opponent's defense, used his skillful footwork to achieve rapid breakthroughs, and used accurate long and short passes to create killing opportunities for his team. Whiteside was selected as one of the top ten new stars of the World Cup for his outstanding performance. British newspapers praised him as "the most handsome star of tomorrow."

Whiteside returned to Manchester United with great reputation and became a regular in the 1982-83 season. Whiteside played 39 games for the Red Devils this season and scored 8 goals. This is an excellent statistic for the 18-year-old Whiteside. He is very hardworking on the court, runs actively, assists actively, and fights bravely. He is the rising star with the fastest improvement in frontcourt performance.

Whiteside not only performs well on the court, but also has a handsome appearance and a free and easy temperament that are loved by fans. This young man is full of the flavor of a sunny boy and maintains a positive and brave attitude. He became famous at a young age and is a product of the Red Devils' youth training. He is a rising star that the world is paying attention to. He is so popular!

Whiteside is as highly anticipated as the Red Devils' former youth training gems Edwards, Best and Charlton. He is also highly trusted by the Red Devils coach and is moving towards the peak of his career step by step.

Whiteside's performance in cup competitions was amazing. His most outstanding performance came in the 1983 FA Cup final. Against Brighton, Whiteside was in great form, destroying the opponent's entire defense by himself. He eventually scored one goal and set up two goals, helping the Red Devils win 4-0. Whiteside became the most valuable player of the game, bringing the Red Devils a thrilling victory and a precious FA Cup championship.

Whiteside, who was only 18 years old at the time, became a hero to the Red Devils fans! The fans burst into great enthusiasm, and the young girls' eyes lit up, as if they had found their prince charming. At the gate of the Cliff base, there were beautiful girls waiting for Whiteside every day.

Whiteside has no resistance to fine wine. In the big wine vat of the Red Devils, Whiteside has found the right place. Whiteside began to drink fiercely after turning 18, and became famous in one season. He quickly got along with his teammates, drank fine wine every day, and became one of the famous "three musketeers of wine" in the team. Whiteside's proudest record is that he can drink 1 liter of whiskey.

Whiteside continued to advance in his career, and in the 1983-84 season he played 37 league games for the Red Devils and scored 10 goals, helping the team finish fourth in the league. Although the Red Devils did not win the league title, Whiteside's performance was still very good, often playing some wonderful moves, making some gorgeous passes, and creating many opportunities.

Songs written specifically for him would often be heard in Dream Theater, "We love Norman, he is our genius!", "We have the unstoppable Norman, he will lead us to victory!"

Whiteside has become an indispensable main force for the Red Devils, and a bright career prospect is waiting for him.

Unfortunately, behind the glory, the devil is approaching quietly.

This season, Whiteside suffered the first serious fracture of his career, and injuries have been entangled with him ever since. In the 1984-85 season, he suffered another fracture, followed by a muscle strain and two ankle sprains, and the injuries became more and more serious. Under the serious influence of injuries, Whiteside's appearances were greatly reduced, but he still achieved an excellent performance of 27 appearances and 9 goals.

Whiteside's goal could not save the team from the downturn. After the Red Devils won ten consecutive games in the early part of the season, they fell into a losing streak. When the season ended, Whiteside and all the Red Devils players were deeply disappointed. The team had no hope of winning the championship again and failed to live up to the fans' expectations.

In 1985, Whiteside's recovery from injury had serious problems. He became a very injury-prone player and had difficulty returning to his best condition. Manchester United had to send him to a large hospital for examination, only to discover a problem that had been lurking for a long time. Whiteside had been seriously injured at the age of 15, and it was thought to be a hip sprain. The physiotherapist used the wrong treatment, resulting in permanent damage to Whiteside's hip joint. When he was seriously injured several times in the professional league, the permanent damage to his hip joint was further aggravated, and eventually he suffered from pain in intense sports and high-intensity confrontations. Whiteside needed to stay away from the game for treatment, but he felt that he could recover.

The most regrettable thing is not Whiteside's treatment accident, but his recovery after injury. Permanent damage to the hip joint requires a long time to recover, and during this period, he must not engage in intense sports confrontation. However, Whiteside did not realize that the treatment was unsuccessful at first, but he did not actively report the pain during training and games, and was only carried off the green field after being seriously injured again. Whiteside has always ignored the injury of the hip joint, always forcing himself to play games despite the pain, and often played games with his body forced to play. As a result, his body was injured again, and he gradually fell into an irreversible vicious cycle.

Whiteside has never healed himself and has been playing with injuries.

Even so, Whiteside showed the brilliance of a warrior. In this season, the Red Devils once again reached the FA Cup final. The match against Everton was fierce and difficult. As a starting main force, Whiteside was closely marked and fiercely pressed by the opponent throughout the game, but he still seized an opportunity that was not considered a chance, withstood the opponent's close defense, and then rushed into the penalty area alone, and directly made a delicate shot, helping the Red Devils score the only goal of the game.

Whiteside once again became the hero of the Red Devils' championship! He enjoyed the cheers of the fans and the joy of winning the championship. Even though he was enduring the pain at that time, he still showed a sincere smile to the fans.

Whiteside later recalled the game, "I felt excruciating pain every time I ran. I didn't know how I could hold on. I was numb in the end, but I still scored the only goal and helped the team win the championship. I am a Northern Irishman and I will never admit defeat."

Whiteside won the victory, but also paid a heavy price. After the FA Cup final, Whiteside's injury worsened and he could never get back to his best level. His return from injury was far from certain and the treatment was very difficult.

Whiteside chose to use alcohol to reduce the pain and numb himself.

In the 1986-87 season, when the Red Devils experienced a coaching change, Whiteside played 31 games in the league and scored 8 goals, maintaining a high level. However, Whiteside got into new troubles off the field. He violated Ferguson's alcohol ban and also violated Ferguson's ban on players playing with injuries. The relationship between the two sides deteriorated rapidly.

The subsequent story is frustrating. In the 1987-1988 season, Whiteside suffered another serious knee injury, and his knee joint swelled larger than two fists. This injury had a greater impact on Whiteside, and he eventually played fewer games than 27 games due to injuries.

The impact of injuries became more and more serious, and Whiteside did not quit his alcohol addiction, allowing alcohol to continue to numb himself.

In the 1988-89 season, Whiteside played in only six league games and did not score any goals. Physical pain and alcohol dependence made him continue to choose to confront Ferguson. In this season, Whiteside created the "Annual Scandal" of the Red Devils camp. He was drunk before the game, but sat slumped in the player's seat, and his ugly appearance was quickly exposed by the media.

Ferguson was furious and immediately decided to sell the guy.

The Red Devils fans were particularly reluctant to let Whiteside go, and put up a banner at Old Trafford specifically asking for Whiteside to stay. But nothing can be undone.

Whiteside later recalled, "My time at Manchester United ended very suddenly, but I don't have any resentment. I love Manchester United and the Manchester United fans, but I understand that nothing can be undone. Ferguson and I talked a lot, from injuries to drinking to my income. It was Ferguson's suggestion that I go to Everton. I only played 29 games for Everton, but in the end I earned the sum of eight years at Manchester United. Ferguson personally discussed my salary with Everton coach Xavi, and I don't have any resentment towards Ferguson."

Whiteside's eight-year career with the Red Devils came to an end. He made 8 appearances for the Red Devils, scored 273 goals and won two FA Cup titles for the Red Devils.

Whiteside's career at Everton also ended early. Injury became his terminator and he had to announce his retirement at the age of 26.

After Whiteside retired, Ferguson invited him to return to the Red Devils as a coach for the youth team.

Whiteside opened a new chapter in the history of the Red Devils. He assisted coaches such as Harrison and Kidd, and successively trained new players such as Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, the Neville brothers and Butt, laying the foundation for the glory of the Red Devils. Later, a new generation of Red Devils players such as Welbeck and Cleverley also received his guidance.

Whiteside was a brilliant man who gave his all to the club he had loved since childhood. Although his glory was short-lived, the Red Devils fans will always remember his dedication and love him forever.