Manchester United star Andy Cole has stated that one member of the class of 92 would have been included with the finest if not for a devastating injury that destroyed his career.
Cole joined United from Newcastle in 1995 and appeared in 195 league games under Sir Alex Ferguson, scoring 93 goals in the process.
The English striker joined the group at an ideal moment, as the class of 92 began to make their mark, with players like Beckham and Scholes strutting their thing.
However, when reminiscing about his early years at United on ‘The Rest is Football’, Cole mentioned a name that few people are familiar with while praising United’s huge breadth of talent.
“There was so many of them, the players who missed out, players like Ben Thornley who had a nasty injury,” he said.
“Ben would have been up there with the rest of them definitely.”
Thornley, who played out wide, was considered as one of United’s best players until a crushing challenge by Blackburn defender Nicky Marker in a reserve game in April 1994.
Thornley’s knee was severely damaged as a result of the challenge, which changed the trajectory of his career before it ever began.
Sir Alex was considering the 18-year-old Thornley for the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Oldham Athletic a few days later, and he had turned down the opportunity to be replaced five minutes before the injury.
Thornley reflected on his choice, telling The Guardian: “It’s probably the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life and something that completely changed my life.”
In the interview, he revealed what it was like to rise through the ranks of the school while surrounded by so much attention.
“Absolutely bizarre. There are very few players in history who can compete with George Best, so being compared to him, at any level, by someone who has won a World Cup – well, you can’t ask for more,” he stated.
Thornley appeared 13 times for United, but spent the rest of his career with Huddersfield Town until making his last appearance for Halifax Town in 2004.
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