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Chris Smalling

Made his debut for Maidstone United in the Isthmian League in 2007 whilst still at Chatham Grammar School for boys having joined the club as a 16-year-old. The England schoolboys defender scored in his final game against East Thurrock United before briefly joining Middlesbrough. He returned to London because of homesickness and was immediately taken on at Fulham. United paid £10m for him in January 2010 and he joined up with the Reds squad for the start of the 20101-11 season.

Gary Pallister

Billingham Town’s most famous old boy. The Northern League club nurtured the young defender until he was sold to Middlesbrough for a new set of kit, goal nets and footballs! It cost United a bit more in 1989 when Sir Alex Ferguson prised him away from the North East for a club record £2.3m. Pally went on to win four Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup and a European Cup Winners’ Cup in a nine year spell.

Peter Davenport

Another one whose non-league club could not resist the temptation of payment of new gear to lure him away. Birkenhead-born Davenport was at West Cheshire league side Cammell Laird when Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest offered them a new playing kit for the striker. Davenport went on to become an England international at Forest. Ron Atkinson bought him for United for £750,000 but was sold to Middlesbrough when Alex Ferguson brought in Brian McClair to revamp his new United side.

Ben Foster

Midland Football Alliance side Racing Club Warwick was his initial home before being spotted by Stoke City. He had several non-league loans before a spell at Wrexham where Sir Alex Ferguson saw him play in the 2005 Football league Trophy final. Fergie was at Wembley watching his son Darren play for Wrexham and decided to pay Stoke £1m for him. He was loaned out to Watford but couldn’t dislodge Edwin van der Sar at Old Trafford. He moved initially to Birmingham and is now at West Brom.

David Sadler

United’s versatile 1968 European Cup winner was banging goals in as a teenager for Isthmian League side Maidstone, where he also played international for England’s amateurs, United when the Reds picked up on his feats. Matt Busby brought him to Old Trafford and he was an FA Youth Cup winner in 1963 and picked up to League titles in 1965 and ‘67 as well as the Wembley triumph against Benfica.