 In his first season, he played 18 times for the under-17s team and three times for the under-19s, scoring four goals.In 1999–2000, he played just twice for the under-19s at the start of the season before missing the next six months; he returned for the final two matches of the campaign, scoring in the play-off second round match against Leeds United.He also made his debut for the reserve team in the Manchester Senior Cup match against Oldham Athletic on 5 April.