TWO SECOND WONDER

 Well, this is the best I can do....say hello to Steve Brignall, an Arsenal player under Terry Neil in the 1978-9 season, who made a 15 minute appearance in the Asenal defence at Anfield in a 0-3 defeat by Liverpool. This was his only Football League appearance. Born in 1960 in Tenterden, Kent, he went to Norway to play for Harsted IL in December 1979, then Hastings Utd, Tonbridge and various "non-league clubs south of the Thames.

A short first team career was enjoyed??  by Nick Culkin, a goalkeeper who was at Manchester United for 4 years. Bought as a 17 year old from York City for £100,000 in 1995, he might have thought all his eggs had arrived in one basket...or was it birds had come home to roost?

He managed a half (of a match) on a Scandinavian pre-season tour, with Peter Schmiechel as his mentor. The 45 minutes came against SK Brann in 1997/8 season, in a 4-0 win. Clean sheet!
At 19, he surely had a full career ahead of him? With Schmeichel and Bosnich moving aside, he was the understudy to Raymond van der Gouw.

His opportunity came at the start of the 22nd August 1999 at Highbury, a league match against the mighty Gunners who were unbeaten at home since  Boxing Day 1997.
SKY Sports presented this match as the first "Interactive Match", so all the angles were covered by cameras.
Van der Gouw in goal; Culkin as sub.
Ljunberg had given Arsenal the lead at 41 mins. 1-0
Keane equalised  (1-1) on 58 mins and then Vieira and Keane got into a "rutting"..... remember that? No red cards by Graham Poll.
Keane scored past keeper Manninger as regular Seaman was unfit...1-2..... 88 minutes.

Late in the game Bergkamp took a free kick, floated it, Upson heads towards van der Gouw who gets Keown's knee in his temple as the ball goes in the net. Pandemonium...Injury...Poll disallows late equalising goal.

Culkin woken from his slumbers on the bench by Fergie's medics!
No warm up...... (100 minutes  actually played) 89' gone officially.....free kick to United from 6 yard line.
Culkin sets the ball up...runs up and leathers the ball forwards.....FULL TIME WHISTLE blown! Two second appearance? Game over.....

Van der Gouw recovered and played in the next fixture v Coventry. Fergie signed Massimo Taibi shortly after this debacle and that was that for Culkin, who had Bosnich, van der Gouw and Taibi to get past.
He had spells on loan from United 1999-02. QPR was his next port of call (2002-5)...22apps and a knee injury over three years. He retired and then in 2010 went back into the Non-League around Manchester (Prescott Cables, FC United** and the like). He coached a bit and ended up as a gardener!
** The first player to turn out for both Manchester United and FC United of Manchester!

Culkin also holds the "shortest time for a GK on the pitch record though"! AND two Charity Shield medals with Utd (1998 and 99) having been "on the bench" twice at Wembley.