PLAYER PROFILE

Nicky Butt

Position: Midfield

Height: 5'10

Weight: 11st 5lbs

Date of Birth: 1975-01-21 Manchester, England

Nicky Butt

Nicky Butt moved to Birmingham on loan in summer 2005 after finding few first-team opportunites at Newcastle United.

Bobby Robson added Butt to his Newcastle ranks in the summer of 2004 with the midfielder putting pen to paper on a four-year contract after the Manchester United accepted a cut-price £2million bid.

However, once Graeme Souness arrived at St. James' Park, Butt struggled to find a regular first-team place and decided to try his luck with a year-long loan move to Birmingham.

Butt was another youngster to come off Manchester United's production line and was at the heart of the group of players that became known as Fergie's Fledglings. An aggressive and tenacious player, he made his debut in November 1992 as a substitute for Paul Ince, the man he would ultimately replace. Following Ince's departure in the summer of 1995, the way was clear for Butt to secure a regular place in United's first-team, and he did not let this chance pass.

By the end of 1998/99, Butt found himself at the heart of the Manchester United midfield in the Champions' League Final against Barcelona. He played his part in the victory and now boasts a fine collection of winners' medals from the Barclays Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League.

On the international stage Butt has several caps to his name, having made his international debut as a substitute for England against Mexico in 1997, and still features alongside all the other United young guns in Sven Goran Eriksson's youthful England line-up.

Many clubs have tried to buy Butt, asuming he would jump at the chance for regular first-team football. But like Solskjaer, he seems content to play his part in the team effort. He is a local lad, his boyhood friends are at the club and Ferguson knows what effect it might have on the likes of Scholes, Giggs and Beckham to see one of their nearest and dearest depart.

United have described him as the ideal "journeyman footballer". He always gives his all in games and never complains...except to the referee of course.

The peak of his career came in 2002 when he was one of England's star performers in the World Cup finals. Even Pele singled him out as the tournament's best player. That made the following season a big one for Butt as he sought to keep that form going, but injuries plagued him and he made only a few appearances. Instead of making the big splash, he was left treading water, and that continued throughout the 2003/04 season as well.

In January 2004 he handed in a transfer request, unhappy at the lack of first team opportunities available at United, but did not leave the club during the transfer window. However, his situation did not really improve and though he made the Euro 2004 squad he did not get on the pitch, with his replacement Frank Lampard proving to be a big hit.

If Butt wanted to get his England place back again, it was clear that he needed to be playing more regularly and that meant finally leaving the club he has called home for his entire career. After 380 appearances for Manchester United, he opted for a switch to Newcastle.

The first-team football he so badly needed came in his first season with the Magpies as he made 26 appearances and scored once. He even managed to break back into the England set-up, making it a very successful season indeed.

The only thing which tainted it slightly was tendonitis in his hamstring which ruled him out from December to February and arguably led to his move to Birmingham on loan.

His time at City proved reasonably successful and in 2006/07 he returned to St James' Park, where he proved one of Newcastle's most consistant performers.