Paul Ince: Encyclopedia II - Paul Ince - Manchester United & England

Paul Ince - Manchester United & England

Ince played just once in Division Two the following season before completing a highly-controversial transfer to Manchester United for one million pounds. The move was controversial because Ince had been photographed in a Manchester United kit long before the transfer was complete, and this photograph appeared in the Daily Express. Ince received hateful abuse from West Ham United fans and quickly sorted out the finalities for the move to Old Trafford, though endured further trouble when the deal was delayed after he failed his initial medical examination.

In a recent article in Four Four Two magazine, when answering questions about his career from readers, he got his chance to explain the story:

"I spoke to Alex Ferguson and the deal was close to being done. I then went on holiday, and my agent at the time, Ambrose Mendy, said it wasn't worth me coming back to do a picture in a United shirt when the deal was completed, so I should do one before I left, and it would be released when the deal was announced. Lawrence Luster of the Daily Star took the picture and put in the library. Soon after, their sister paper, the Daily Express, were looking for a picture of me playing for West Ham, and found the one of me in the United shirt in the pile. They published it and all hell broke loose.

"I came back from holiday to discover West Ham fans were going mad. It wasn't really my fault. I was only a kid, I did what my agent told me to do, then took all the crap for it."

Ince eventually made his Manchester United debut in a 5-1 win over Millwall and (despite peculiarly wearing the No.2 shirt all season) became a strong presence in the midfield alongside long-serving captain Bryan Robson and fellow new signing Neil Webb. United won the FA Cup in his first season, defeating Crystal Palace 1-0 in a replay at Wembley after initially drawing 3-3.

As Robson's career subsequently wound down, Ince became the fulcrum of the United midfield, with snapping tackles, raking passes and some tremendously hit shots, though he wasn't too prolific a goalscorer.

He won his second winners' medal when United defeated Barcelona in the final of the European Cup Winners Cup in Rotterdam in 1991 and received his third another year later when United beat Nottingham Forest in the 1992 League Cup final.

Ince made his debut for the full England team in September of that year in a friendly match against Spain in Santander. England lost 1-0 but Ince proved a success. He was duly awarded his second cap a month later in a disappointing 1-1 draw with Norway in a qualifying match for the 1994 World Cup.

At the same time, Manchester United were competing in the inaugural Premiership season with Ince and his best friend at the time, Ryan Giggs at the fore and part of a now legendary team that included Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Andrei Kanchelskis, Steve Bruce and Denis Irwin. Seeking a first League title for 26 years, United won it and Ince completed his domestic medal set just three years after joining the club. This success at club level was marred, however, by failure at international level, as Ince was dropped by manager Graham Taylor for two of five World Cup qualifiers, the second of which was a crucial 2-0 defeat in Norway which made England's hopes of reaching the finals slim.

However, Ince made history during England's summer tour of the USA when, in a match against the host nation, he became England's first black captain in the absence of David Platt and Tony Adams. Sadly England embarrassingly lost 2-0.

As the following domestic season got underway, Ince won his tenth England cap in a 3-0 win over Poland which kept alive their World Cup qualification hopes, though required a victory over Holland in Rotterdam a month later. In a controversial match, Holland beat England 2-0 and qualification hopes had gone. Ince scored twice - his first international goals - as the qualifying campaign ended with a 7-1 thumping of San Marino in Bologna but the margin of victory wasn't enough.

Manchester United continued to dominate the domestic game and Ince was the midfield general in the side which won the "double" of Premiership and FA Cup in 1994. A year later and Ince suffered more chants of JUDAS when he and Manchester United went to West Ham on the last day of the season, needing a win to reclaim their Premiership crown. Sadly for them, they could only draw the game and Blackburn Rovers took the title. It went from bad to worse as Ince featured then in the United team which also lost the FA Cup final to Everton.

During the same season, Manchester United's temperamental French striker Eric Cantona received a prison sentence (later commuted to a community service order on appeal) after he attacked a Crystal Palace supporter who had chanted abuse at him after he had been sent off for a foul. Ince was also deemed to have got involved in the aftermath and was charged with common assault. He was acquitted after a trial.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Manchester United & England", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki