Neil Whitworth

Who is Neil Whitworth?

Neil Anthony Whitworth is an English former football defender.

Born in Ince-in-Makerfield, Wigan, to a former rugby league footballer, Whitworth began his career at Wigan Athletic as a trainee. He made his senior debut for Wigan on 10 February 1990 in a Third Division match against Leyton Orient; Wigan lost the match 2–0. Manchester United spotted Whitworth's potential and signed him for a fee of £45,000 in June 1990. His United debut came nine months later, when he played in a 1–1 draw away to Southampton. However, Whitworth did not play again for Manchester United and was shipped out on loan to four different clubs before he and Colin McKee were sold to Kilmarnock for a combined fee of £350,000 in September 1994.

Whitworth first went on loan to Preston North End for a month in January 1992, playing six games for the Lancashire club. He then went to Barnsley in February 1992 until the end of the season, making 11 appearances. He played out the 1992–93 season in the Manchester United reserve team, but went on another month-long loan to Rotherham United in October 1993, immediately followed by a month at Blackpool.

Whitworth was issued with the number 32 shirt when the FA Premier League introduced squad numbers for the 1993–94 season, although he never took to the field in that shirt.