While everyone remembers Manchester United‘s iconic Class of ’92, they weren’t the first group of young players that Sir Alex Ferguson worked with at Old Trafford.
Ferguson had some talented young players on his books in the late 1980s and they were the first group to be dubbed ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ by the press.
We’ve taken a look back at Ferguson’s first batch of fledglings to see how they all fared.
Lee Martin
After winning United’s Young Player of the Year award in 1987-88, Martin replaced Arthur Albiston and became their first-choice left-back over the following two seasons.
He only scored two goals for the club but one of them was the winner in the 1990 FA Cup final replay against Crystal Palace as Ferguson secured his first trophy at United.
But the defender struggled with injury problems after that FA Cup final win while Clayton Blackmore and Denis Irwin established themselves as United’s first-choice full-back pairing.
Martin was sold to Celtic in January 1994 and then had a spell at Bristol Rovers before seeing out his playing career in non-league football.
“If you’d told me at 16 I would play 110 games [for United] and score the winner in the FA Cup final I’d have snapped your hand off,” Martin told the Sun.
“I was a United fan, I still am, and it was just a great time. We all felt it was the start of a new team and to play my part in it is something I’m so proud of.”
#OnThisDay 1990
Lee Martin scored in the #FACupFinal replay against Crystal Palace to secure Sir Alex Ferguson his first trophy as Manchester United manager. pic.twitter.com/dKaXvzuNX7
— 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨 – aka Larry 🇺🇦 (@Cantona_Collars) May 17, 2021
Tony Gill
Gill was handed his first-team debut early in Ferguson’s reign, filling in for the injured Bryan Robson during a 1-1 draw away against Southampton in January 1987.
“I’d never played in central midfield at United before so it was a surprise and I imagine very much a gamble for the manager,” Gill told Retro United.
“I was wearing Bryan Robson’s No.7 shirt and just so happened to wear New Balance boots at the time so I got a bit of stick in the dressing room along the lines of who did I think I was.”
But an Achilles tendon injury derailed Gill’s progress, keeping him on the sidelines throughout the 1987-98 season.
He started to become a first-team regular in 1988-89, only to suffer a broken leg and a shattered ankle…
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