Sir Alex Ferguson once gave Kieran Richardson his debut in order to bank him a \u00a312,000 winner’s bonus.<\/strong><\/p>\n The young midfielder was a talented young player with Manchester United<\/a> and was given the chance to be a part of the first team squad on his 18th birthday when the Red Devils faced Olympiacos in the Champions League in October 2002.<\/p>\n 2<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> While teenagers in the modern day boast lucrative contracts worth tens of thousands of pounds, the early noughties was a time when Richardson and any other talented youngster would need to prove themselves to before earning the big bucks.<\/p>\n But telling the brilliant story of Ferguson’s generosity, Richardson revealed how the notoriously stern Man United legend changed his life in the space of two minutes.<\/p>\n Speaking on the Broadtalks podcast, Richardson said: \u201cI never signed a pro contract until late.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember first going in as YTS (Youth Training Scheme) at 16 or 17 and I was on like \u00a390 a week and the next year I doubled it and United wanted to give me a pro contract.<\/p>\n \u201cI never wanted to sign it because me and my father always thought I don\u2019t want to be a pro until I\u2019m worthy of being a pro \u2013 I wasn\u2019t a regular in the first team or anything like that.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s weird how I used to think and all my other teammates signed their pros before me and it was weird because they were making \u00a31000 or \u00a32000 a week and I was on like \u00a3180 a week.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember, I\u2019ll never forget it, it was my 18th<\/sup> birthday and I was on the bench in the Champions League and the gaffer \u2013 Sir Alex Ferguson<\/a> \u2013 knows that I\u2019m the guy who hasn\u2019t signed a pro.<\/p>\n \u201cI swear down, it was extra time with two minutes to go and he said \u2018Kieran, get on the pitch now \u2013 no warming up \u2013 ref, do the thing now, get him on\u2019 because Fergie knew the bonuses that United were getting for winning the game.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the time I think we would get \u00a312,000 a win and I\u2019m the guy who is on \u00a3180 a week.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m like \u2018s***, get on quick\u2019 and getting my clothes on and when I\u2019m going past him to go on the pitch he was like \u2018happy birthday son\u2019 \u2013 bang, \u00a312,000. Sick.<\/p>\n
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