Soccer AM

Whiteside: record breaker

This team has a load of youth and magnificent talent and if they can stay together for the next three or four years they will win everything in site I think.

Norman Whiteside
Quotes of the week

Norman Whiteside told Soccer AM that the current Manchester United squad could go on to dominate for years.

The former United forward played during an era in which fierce rivals Liverpool won everything in sight and Whiteside believes that Rooney and co. could go on to do the same.

But Whiteside, who was forced to retire at the tender age of 26 due to an injury, was quick to point out that it was difficult to say if Sir Alex Ferguson's squad were the best ever.

"I don't know if it's the best team ever, but certainly they're the best team at this time," he said. "You can only be the best at your particular period.

"When they won the treble they had a fantastic team and when they won the European Cup at the beginning, they were a fantastic team.

"But this team has a load of youth and magnificent talent and if they can stay together for the next three or four years they will win everything in site I think."

Whiteside has spent the past 40 weeks delighting us all with his brilliant one liners, but admitted he wasn't always the joker in the pack.

"Years ago it was big Gordon McQueen and little Lou Macari who were the joke tellers in the dressing room," said Whiteside. "I just listened and learned!"

Records

As well as being brilliant at telling jokes on the TV, Whiteside had a record breaking career, despite his early retirement.

The former Northern Ireland international played in two world cups and broke Pele's record as the youngest player to appear in a World Cup, when he debuted for Northern Ireland aged just 17 years and 41 days at the 1982 finals in Spain.

He also holds the record for being the youngest player ever to score in a FA Cup final after scoring in United's 1983 Wembley triumph against Brighton.

Two years later he collected his second FA Cup winner's medal - this time scoring the winning goal against Everton deep into extra time, but Whiteside admitted he envied the fans going into the ground that day.

"At the back of the coach you always had a card school and our card school was Gordon Strachan, Jesper Olsen, Paul McGrath and myself," he revealed.

"And I remember we were driving down Wembley way and looking out and all the supporters were going mad and having a great day out because the sun was out and everything else.

"I nudged big Paul and said 'wouldn't it be great to be one of them, it would be great to be out there enjoying yourself'. And then we drive in, the big doors slam and you just have to focus on the game!"