 This came days before the FA Cup semi-final against Oldham Athletic, for which Alex Ferguson was reportedly considering selecting Thornley (at least for a place on the bench) in case Ryan Giggs was not fully fit.Thornley was not fit again until the start of the 1995–96 season.He was rated by contemporaries including David Beckham (one of the players who went on to eclipse him in the first team), as well as club legend and former youth coach Nobby Stiles, as one of the finest young players at the club during that era.