Some Manchester United wonderkids have gone down in history as the best players of a generation. Carved from The Cliff training ground and, in later days, Carrington, Manchester United wonderkids have often had fantastic careers at Old Trafford. From Paul Scholes to Gary Neville and Premier League record holder Ryan Giggs, many have gone on to greatness.
This isn’t the case for everyone, however. For every Ryan Giggs, there’s a Ravel Morrison, a player who doesn’t make it. One such player is Italian Giuseppe Rossi. Although Rossi didn’t make it at Manchester United, he went on to have a good career elsewhere, but it was a career with a caveat. Let’s take a look at his career and suggest why it didn’t work at Manchester United.
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Manchester United Wonderkid – Giuseppe Rossi
Parma to Manchester and a Prestigious Award
Born in 1987, Rossi was born in New Jersey, USA, to Italian parents. At 12, Rossi was offered the opportunity to feature for Parma’s youth team and consequently moved to Italy.
At just 17, Rossi would sign for Manchester United, featuring regularly for the reserve team, and was constantly on the lips of fans as the next Manchester United wonderkid to break through. What was most exciting about the youngster was that he was a goal scorer, something every team needs.
Rossi would make his first team debut in the League Cup in 2004, and this would be the same season that he won a very prestigious award at Manchester United. He would be the recipient of the 2004-05 Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award. Past winners of the award include Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, showing just how well regarded those who win the award are.
Rossi would carry the momentum he gained from the 2004-05 season and break into the first team on a more regular basis during the 2005-2006 season. The Italian would make 12 appearances and notch four goals, and was given Nemanja Vidic’s League Cup medal due to his contributions in the early rounds, despite not featuring in the final.
There was a key issue for Rossi during his time at United, however.
Difficult Competition and Loan Moves
The following season was when it was clear that Manchester United couldn’t facilitate the progression of Rossi. The young Italian needed regular first-team football; however, Sir Alex Ferguson couldn’t provide him with this. Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Alan Smith, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were first choices.
Ferguson and co were building towards something huge, a season where he and his team would pursue an elusive second treble. Realistically, it should have come to fruition as United won the league and Champions League, but lost to Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
Rossi was not part of his plans for the future. Although it’s widely understood that Ferguson didn’t want Rossi to leave, the Italian wanted guaranteed first-team football, something he was desperate for.
There was still a chance for Rossi, who was loaned to Premier League side Newcastle United. After just one goal in 13 appearances, Rossi would spend the remainder of the season back at Parma, finding good form and notching nine goals in 19 league games.
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Villareal, Italy, and Finding his Feet
After a successful loan move in Serie A, Rossi would find himself sold to La Liga side Villarreal. It was a blistering start to life in Spain, scoring 11 goals in 27 league games and helping Villareal qualify for the Champions League in second position.
That form would see him gain his first senior Italy cap, having played for every age group from under-16s.
The Italian would continue his good form, scoring 12 in 30 during his second season, with three in eight in the Champions League. The 2009-10 season saw him score 17 in 46 in all competitions, although the 2010-2011 season saw him truly make a splash on a world level. Rossi would score 18 in 36 in the league and 32 in 56 overall, but would struggle after this season.
Suffering an ACL injury, Rossi would be out for six months before re-injuring his ACL after his return, keeping him out for a further 10 months.
Fiorentina, Injuries, and Winding Down of a Career
The former Red Devils wonderkid was sold to Fiorentina in a deal that included a €35 million release clause. He scored a hat-trick against Juventus in 14 minutes, instantly making him a hero in Florence.
Further devastating knee injuries would all but condemn Rossi to a career of worry and rehab. He missed the entire 2014-2015 season, but did manage to find fitness on his return. He made 11 appearances before moving to Levante on loan, scoring six in 17.
A loan move the following season to Celta Vigo saw him, unfortunately, rupture his ACL, keeping him on the sidelines yet again.
A bout of free agency saw him eventually return to the United States, signing for Real Salt Lake, making just seven appearances. The former Italy international then had two spells at Serie B club SPAL, before retiring in 2023.
Why it Didn’t Work
Giuseppe Rossi was an exciting prospect. At 17, he was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson and became a Manchester United wonderkid with a lot of promise, but three years after his debut, he was sold permanently.
Unlike some former United players, it wasn’t a skill issue for Rossi, nor was it an attitude problem. He wasn’t over hyped, nor was he a flop. He didn’t make it at United because it was a time when United were stacked in the striking position. The year after he left, Carlos Tevez was signed. He was too ambitious a player to stick around in the reserves and looked to prosper elsewhere.
Injuries are ultimately the reason he didn’t make it to the highest level. Had he followed up his 32-goal season with another big goal-scoring season, who knows what his ceiling could have been? Although he didn’t make it at United, Rossi made a reasonable career for himself elsewhere.
He is still involved in football and is now operating as ‘Head of Soccer’ at New York Cosmos.
Featured image courtesy of SmartFrame/Zuma Press
