Ex-United star Whiteside to attend Replay Gala Night

Norman Whiteside, the former Manchester United and Northern Ireland forward, will be the special guest at the Replay Gala Night at the Valletta Waterfront next Sunday.

The organisers said in a statement that Whiteside, who scored 67 goals in 254 games in the Manchester United colours, and his wife will arrive in Malta on the day of the event.

During the Replay Gala Night, described by the organisers "as a manifestation for the local football community", Whiteside will announce the winner of the coveted Best Player of the Year award. He will present the winner with a trophy.

Born in Belfast on May 7, 1965, Whiteside will always be remembered for his early breakthrough in senior football.

At 17, he was the youngest United player to figure for the first team since Duncan Edwards. He was also the youngest to score in an FA Cup final and the youngest ever to appear in the World Cup finals (1982).

In his prime, Whiteside was considered as one of the best players in the UK. Powerful and strong, he was lethal in the air and could shoot with great accuracy.

His most famous moment came in 1985 when United played Everton in the FA Cup final.

At 0-0 in extra time, United's chances of lifting the cup looked slim when reduced to ten men. But a moment of brilliance from Whiteside turned the tide in the Red Devils' favour.

Sprinting down the right wing, Whiteside curled in a superb bending shot from 20 yards to beat Everton keeper Neville Southall. It won goal of the season and sealed a great FA Cup final win for United.

In 1989, Whiteside joined Everton but after two seasons with the Blues, a knee injury brought his career to a premature end at the age of 27.