hiː sˈaɪnd ˈæmətʃɚ fˈɔːɹmz wɪð ʃˈɛfiːld wˈɛnzdeɪ hˌuː lˈoʊnd hˌɪm tə wˈɜːksəp tˈaʊn, bˌʌt ɪt wʌz juːnˈaɪɾᵻd hˌuː sˈaɪnd hˌɪm æz ɐ pɹəfˈɛʃənəl ˈæftɚɹ ɐ kˈʌpəl ʌv tɹˈaɪəl ɡˈeɪmz ɪnðə sˈɛntɹəl lˈiːɡ.
He signed amateur forms with Sheffield Wednesday who loaned him to Worksop Town, but it was United who signed him as a professional after a couple of trial games in the Central League.