Tall, good in the air and strong in the tackle, Craig Cathcart is a traditional centre-half, but he also possesses the composure, ability and confidence to bring the ball out of defence.

The Belfast-born defender, capped by Northern Ireland at youth level, was coveted by a number of clubs, including Chelsea, Arsenal and Rangers. He spent time at United’s School of Excellence in Belfast before rejecting all other approaches in favour of joining his boyhood club.

A former Under-18s captain and Jimmy Murphy Player of the Year, Cathcart quickly rose through the ranks and became a

mainstay of the Reserves. So impressive was his improvement, that he was named on the substitutes' bench for United's Champions League mauling of Roma in April 2007.

Craig was loaned to Royal Antwerp at the beginning of the 2007/08 season, where he scored in his second appearance for the club. He played 13 times for the Belgians before returning to England, and he gained further first team experience back at United the following pre-season, when he joined the squad for the final Vodacom Challenge match in South Africa. On his return to England, he embarked on another loan spell, this time with Plymouth Argyle for