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'He was my best friend, all the way through'

The hugely popular midfielder was on the cusp of a brilliant career, joining United as a trainee in 1999 and making his senior first-team debut in a League Cup tie away at Arsenal in November 2001.

Jimmy caught the eye on loan at Swindon Town in the first half of the 2002/03 season and having returned to United for the second half of the campaign, he was soon knocking on the door of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first-team squad, making the bench for a Premier League game against West Ham and called up for a Champions League squad against Deportivo La Coruna.