10 Man Utd Youngsters Who Never Fulfilled Their Potential

9. Darron Gibson

Darron Gibson€™s career may have been obstructed by injury woes one wouldn€™t wish on their worst enemy, but make no mistake about it - he was showing no sign of becoming the next Roy Keane before then. A Manchester United trainee, he was another Royal Antwerp alumni, and took in a loan spell at Wolves before finally being granted a chance to stake his claim in the first team during the 08/09 season as a fresh-faced 21 year old. To his credit, Gibson took his chance with aplomb, gaining plaudits for some decent displays in the centre of the park. However, he hadn€™t won the trust of Ferguson just yet, and his 14 appearances included just three outings in the league, but he still managed to find the back of the net on the final day of the season with a sizzling 25 yard scorcher at the KC Stadium. The 09/10 season was where Gibson really made a case for a future at the club, making 15 appearances in the league, and hammering home five goals in all competitions, including a 25 yard thumper against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. By the following season, however, his performances began to grow stale, and punters began to realise that he wasn€™t developing quick enough for a Man United starlet. 20 appearances were turned in, and there were further goals, including a Champions League semi-final strike against Schalke 04, but even his international manager knew Gibson needed to leave the club for the sake of his career. Eleven months later, he was an Everton player, where he has been plagued by injury demons ever since.