Left Utd: 2001 (£500,000**).Career path since: Middlesbrough, Stoke (loan), Swansea (currently on loan).Still playing in First DivisionMichael Appleton Midfielder, 27.Lge apps at Utd: 0 Left Utd for Preston: 1997 (£500,000) Now: West Brom.David Healy Forward, 24.Lge apps at Utd: 1. Left Utd: 2001 (£3m**).Career path since: Middlesbrough.Danny Higginbotham Defender, 24.Lge apps at Utd: 4. Left Utd: 2000 (£2m).Career path since: Derby, Southampton.Jon Macken Forward, 26.Lge apps at Utd: 0. Left Utd: 1995 (£1m, part-swap for Andy Cole).Career path since: Newcastle, Blackburn, Wigan (loan), Leicester *Jonathan GreeningMidfielder, 24 Lge apps at Utd: 14.
Left Utd: 2000 (£1.5m).Career path since: Blackburn, Sheff Utd (loan), Leicester.Keith GillespieMidfielder, 28.Lge apps at Utd: 9. Life After Old TraffordOther United youth products forced to make the grade elsewhereStill playing in PremiershipJohn Curtis Defender, aged 25.Lge apps at Utd: 13. If we can do that, it has been a fabulous season for Leicester We'd then look to consolidate. No one expects us to turn over Man United so there is no pressure on us even though we are at home, which is strange."Ambitions for the season are more optimistic "The priority is staying up.
"It didn't work out for him at Blackburn so, like everyone else I've brought to the club, he's got a bit to prove."Not to United. "Playing them is the same as playing any of my old clubs," Curtis said. "They are one of the biggest clubs in the world but I'll treat it no different to any other game."That said, he added: "The manager has said many times that games against the top five are bonus games. Then, last March, they finally let me go to Sheffield United It was fantastic for me. I played in big games like the FA Cup semi-final and the play-off final."The loan system has been much-criticised this year but it has twice revived Curtis. His form was noticed by Dave Bassett, his former manager at Barnsley, now the director of football at Leicester.
Micky Adams, the City manager, promptly made him one of his 12 summer signings."He was brought up the right way at Manchester United, has decent qualities and a proven pedigree," Adams said. Having been signed for £1.5m, Curtis would have been on good money but he was more interested in playing matches than banking cheques."I handed in a transfer request, they refused it I pestered them to go on loan, nothing happened. It is difficult to keep people happy when they are not playing but he didn't even try."It did not help when Rovers reached the final of the Worthington Cup (for which Neill was ineligible) and Curtis, having played the previous five ties, was passed over, the central defender Martin Taylor taking his place. It's not the way I'd like to treat people if I was a manager. They bought Lucas Neill and he played well."I knew it was over when I came back from injury, played well in a Worthington Cup game, but got bombed out That was disappointing I had done so well the season before. Then he fell from favour with Graeme Souness, the Rovers manager.