‘To keep a clean sheet on debut at Old Trafford was special, but I was lucky that John Fashanu and Vinnie Jones didn’t play – they caused problems’: Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper reflects on facing Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang aged just 18

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson handed an 18-year-old goalkeeper his debut in 1990 against Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang, with the 0-0 draw working well for all parties involved.

After reaching the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, Manchester United spent the final month of the 1989/90 season largely preparing for the showpiece event at Wembley.

With three games remaining of the season and Manchester United having nothing else to play for as they sat mid-table in the First Division, Ferguson decided to rest his two senior goalkeepers in Jim Leighton and Les Sealey, instead handing an 18-year-old Mark Bosnich his debut.

Manchester United kept a clean sheet with 18-year-old Mark Bosnich in goal

Bosnich (top left) part of Man United’s youth team in 1990 (Image credit: Getty Images)The young Australian didn’t quite have to enter such a baptism of fire, however, with Old Trafford hosting the match and certain Crazy Gang protagonists missing from Wimbledon’s side that day.

“United were in the FA Cup final, so Alex Ferguson told me I’d make my debut against Wimbledon,” Bosnich tells FourFourTwo. “To keep a clean sheet as an 18-year-old on debut at Old Trafford was very special.

Bosnich returned to Manchester United in 1999 “I was lucky that John Fashanu and Vinnie Jones didn’t play – they caused goalkeepers a lot of problems at that time.

“Fergie didn’t say anything out of the ordinary afterwards, but the next day at training, we had games for some of the people who didn’t play and some of the youngsters, and Fergie said I could be the referee. That was his way of saying, ‘Well done last night’. I thought, ‘OK, yeah, I’ll be the ref!’”

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Bosnich only played two more games for Manchester United before having to return to Australia due to his student visa expiring in 1991. Eight years later, Sir Alex Ferguson enlisted the goalkeeper’s services once more, however, signing him following the departure of Peter Schmeichel.

Bosnich was happy that Vinnie Jones didn’t play on his debut (Image credit: Alamy)In doing so, Bosnich became the only player Ferguson ever signed twice at Manchester United.