Ex-Manchester United striker James Wilson bagged a brace on his debut under Ryan Giggs and now has a new club in League One after being released by the relegated Port Vale
Former Manchester United starlet James Wilson, who was forecast to have a fine career after scoring two on debut for Ryan Giggs, has been signed by Northampton Town following his release by Port Vale.
Serving as interim player-manager in 2014, Red Devils legend Giggs saw promise in the young Wilson and made the decision to give him a start in their penultimate Premier League match of the season against Hull City.
Wilson repaid the favour by scoring two goals as United conquered the Tigers 3-1 and seemingly declared himself as a youngster to watch for the next campaign.
Yet the English marksman never lived up to the potential his debut hinted at, playing scarcely for United over the next four years before departing permanently, and has spent the last two years at Port Vale.
Following Port Vale’s relegation to League Two, Wilson was subsequently among the group of players that the club announced they would be releasing.
Wilson joined from Salford City and played over 100 times for the Valiants, helping them win promotion to the third division in 2022 with a healthy 15-goal tally.
It hasn’t taken long for the former wonderkid to find a new club, however, as Northampton have snapped up the striker who will now remain in League One next season.
Now director of football at Wilson’s former club, Salford, Giggs recalled the time he gave the youngster his first start and praised the attributes the striker first demonstrated while at Old Trafford.
Giggs said: “I remember we’d been beaten and I wanted to throw in some young players. James came across, he trained really well. I already knew about him because he was a goalscorer, he was scoring regularly for both the reserves and the youth team.
“He really impressed me with the way he trained and the way he had an eye for a goal, and he had the dream debut, didn’t he? He scored a couple of goals.
“He’s always been a really good finisher. He had his injury problems but he’s a good lad, he always wanted to improve.”
Now at his fourth club in as many years, the 28-year-old hasn’t entirely lived up to the potential that he showed while starting out at United, but now has a fresh chance in League One with the Cobblers.