Jamie Jamie (Paul) Brooks was on the verge of becoming a true-Us superstar when he was cruelly struck down with a rare virus, which left the Oxford-born forward virtually paralysed and unable to breathe for several months. After a clean-sweep of all the various Player of the Season awards in 2001/02 Jamie went from eleven to eight stone in just three months whilst in intensive care. Linked with a million pound move to Arsenal prior to his illness Brooks was a United legend while still in his teens!

Jamie played his first game since his illness in the pre-season friendly against Spurs in 2003, but he wasn`t ready to resume first-team duties for over another year when, after a few brief substitute appearances, Ramon Diaz started him against Cambridge in his first game in charge. Brooksy was in and out of the side for the next few months, but failed to secure a regular first-team place. He was eventually released at the start of the 2006 season, and signed for Didcot Town.