I made my Premier League debut with Marcus Rashford at Man Utd - then I retired at 28

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Marcus Rashford's Premier League debut is a familiar story - coming just three days after his maiden senior outing for Manchester United . Yet the tale of another academy product who also debuted that afternoon remains largely untold.

Whilst Louis van Gaal handed a second opportunity to young Rashford, who had featured in a Europa League clash against FC Midtjylland 72 hours prior, James Weir was battling his own anxiety. United held a 3-2 advantage over Arsenal , courtesy of a Rashford brace - taking his tally to four goals in fewer than 150 senior minutes for the club - when Van Gaal turned to his substitutes.

Despite having alternative choices available, Van Gaal opted for midfielder Weir. Ander Herrera, carrying a booking and having found the net, made way for Weir, signalling his debut and sole outing for the senior squad.

His stint with the Red Devils proved brief, departing for Hull merely six months afterwards, where he battled fitness problems and endured limited opportunities. Though he skippered the Under-21s at Carrington to league glory, he never earned another chance at elite level, sitting out Hull's entire campaign before their demotion.

At just 28, he hung up his boots following spells at Wigan and Bolton, plus overseas adventures with MTK Budapest, FC ViOn, and Pohronie. Weir continues to remember the campaign when he featured in first-team action at United. "I was on the bench for about 10 games," he told the Guardian.

"It was a bit of a whirlwind – it feels like a lifetime ago. My debut was an out‐of-body experience but they were the best moments of my career. Being in the squad and exposed to a club that size was incredible. I wouldn't change that minute for anything."

In a previous interview with Planet Football , he expanded on his fleeting appearance. "Usually, you start warming up after 25 minutes or go for a little run to get the manager's attention, but it was different with Van Gaal," he said.

"You had to wait until he told you to warm up, which meant he was then likely to send you on. After about 75 or 80 minutes he told me to warm up and then someone shouted down the touchline to me to come back to the technical area. I was thinking, 'Bloody hell, I am going to come on here'.

"My parents were there, but the whole thing was so quick. The adrenaline saw me through and I can't remember much about it, apart from standing with Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Paddy McNair at the final whistle, trying to take it all in."

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The footballer, who had a brief but unforgettable stint with Manchester United in the Premier League , shared his experience with a blend of pride and humour. He said: "I can tell my children and grandchildren that I played for Manchester United in the Premier League – although I may not mention the one-minute bit!"

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he vividly described the intensity of the moment: "At the time you're thinking 'don't mess up', it was 3-2, I was just thinking 'run around and do what you can' and then it was over.

"I came on for Herrera and he came up to me and said 'fight!' It was typical of him. I remember that clearly. In terms of the coaches, I think it was more just 'don't mess up'.

"Ander was a good guy. He was all emotion and passion, there was no holding back."

He also didn't miss out on the bizarre atmosphere during manager Louis van Gaal's antics, as he recalled: "It was a crazy day, Van Gaal did that impression of Alexis Sanchez on the touchline [when he fell to the ground]. I was warming up at the time, I thought a fight was going on or something, I only saw it afterwards."

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On the topic of fellow Red Rashford , he revealed his personal bond with the striker and witnessed his remarkable ascent: "For Marcus to score twice was surreal really. It made the day even more special.

"I was a bit older than him, but we were in the same digs together for a couple of years. We used to play FIFA together and go out for food, but I didn't play with him too much as I was a bit older than him.

"When he got to the reserves we had a couple of games, but he was straight through to the first team really. He missed that period because we had no strikers at the time, he went on to take his chance and the rest is history. We all knew he was the top one in his age group and that he was always destined to reach pretty good heights."

Weir's academy side boasted a wealth of promising talent, featuring players such as Pereira, Will Keane, Tyler Blackett, and Dean Henderson. He also shared the turf with established stars including Wayne Rooney , Michael Carrick, Scott McTominay, Jesse Lingard and Antonio Valencia during his time at Old Trafford.

Nevertheless, Weir has now decided to retire from football and embark on a fresh chapter as a travel agent. Speaking to The Guardian, he revealed: "I can still play football at some level but playing at a professional level day in and day out, my body didn't have that. It was not worth the sacrifice of living away anymore. I thought I needed to cut the cord early and move on to something else."

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