On the 21st of August, 1999, referee Graham Poll has just sounded his whistle to mark full-time at Highbury, which is currently experiencing a deflated atmosphere.
Because to Roy Keane, the captain of Manchester United, who scored two goals in the second half to clinch all three points, Sir Alex Ferguson and his team are enjoying a 2-1 victory over their fierce opponents. This victory was achieved after a typically courageous performance by the Manchester United coaching staff.
Although Arsenal had taken the lead thanks to Dennis Bergkamp, the Reds responded with a resounding victory. The game, on the other hand, was anything from straightforward, and while there were just a few seconds left in North London, goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw was forced to leave the game due to an injury.
Nick Culkin, a custodian who was born in York, was destined to make his Premier League debut with a few seconds left to play. This was because Peter Schmeichel, who had been so important to the team during the previous season, had departed the club after United’s treble victory.
In 1995, Culkin left his childhood club York to join United’s development system. After being picked among the replacements by Ferguson, he was eventually given the opportunity to play for United.
“The chief executive officer just turned around to me and said, ‘Nick, get yourself ready, you’re going on,'” Culkin remembered in an interview with the official website of Manchester United. I have just removed my workout outfit off my body. To begin with, I was already wearing my shin protectors. There is no need to warm up; simply get dressed and begin going.
However, the rookie goalkeeper took his first kick of the ball shortly after coming in, which was a free kick that was granted for Martin Keown’s foul on Van der Gouw. Poll then blew the whistle to confirm that the game had reached its conclusion.
Culkin’s debut lasted for a total of only two seconds, which is still the record for the shortest debut in the history of the Premier League. “Unfortunately or fortunately – unfortunately if you ask me – the game ended immediately,” he said to reporters.
My celebration was as if we had just won the World Cup. It was like Alan Shearer when I rushed away with my arm raised!
Therefore, what does he recall about that particular day? A clean-sheet bonus comes to mind, as does Sir Bobby Charlton’s response to the cameo. Both of these things are noteworthy.
“I’ve still got the wage slip at home,” Culkin responded. “What’s the matter?” I received the victory bonus, which I believe was around 600 pounds at the time. As a result, I made almost 1,100 pounds in a single kick, which allowed me to pay for my subsequent summer vacation.
When I walked into the changing room, Sir Bobby Charlton was laughing with me. I will never forget it. Ultimately, I ended up having the shortest career in United history as well as the shortest career in Premier League history, two marks that will never be surpassed on record.
That was going to be Culkin’s very first and very last kick of a football in the Premier League his whole career.
Before making his move to the Championship club QPR in 2002, he would move away from Old Trafford on loan for a number of different periods. Then, at the age of just 26, he was forced to retire due to a knee injury, which he sustained after going through three seasons and making 22 appearances in the league.
During the year 2010, Culkin did make his return to the world of non-league football. He played for Radcliffe and Prescot Cables before establishing yet another record.
In 2014, he became a member of FC United of Manchester, which is a club that was established in 2006 with the purpose of opposing the leveraged buyout acquisition of Manchester United by Malcolm Glazer. As a consequence of this, Culkin became the first player in the history of football to play for both Manchester United and FC United in a competitive tournament.
Upon the conclusion of his professional playing career, Culkin established his own gardening business. In 2012, he shared his thoughts on the subject with the official website of QPR, saying, “I fell into this work after helping out a friend a few years ago.”
“I came to the conclusion that I very much loved being outside in the fresh air. As a result, I decided to start my own company, and it has been quite successful. Gardening is something that I do on a daily basis, and I make sure that they look great.
