By Phil Tooley

This article originally appeared in the Middlesbrough matchday programme

Midfielder Danny Whitaker, a summer captures from League One Oldham Athletic, began his career with home town team Manchester United.

He recalls the time when he moved into the set-up at Old Trafford: "It came from playing for my local Sunday side when I was a youngster. There were always plenty of scouts about and they took a few of us down to train with the young lads at United and it went from there."

The 29 year old added: "It's a bit bizarre really. One day you're just playing for your local Sunday League side with all of your mates and then the next thing you're down at The Cliff (United's former training ground) next to the first team of United, all a bit weird but that's how it goes! Of the lads I played alongside, Danny Webber is the best known now.

"I loved it there even though I wasn't there too long, but I learned a lot and took it all with me when I went to Macclesfield Town."

He move to Moss Rose in the summer of 2001 but had to wait until February that season to make his mark: "I'd been on the bench for five or six games before my debut and was raring to get on but nothing seemed to be coming and then we were losing against Exeter and I got thrown on and managed a debut goal."

He recalls that goal in detail: "It was a cracker really, a corner from the right that was headed back to the corner taker who crossed again, it was headed out to the edge of the box where I was. I took a touch and then hit a half-volley into the top corner. That goal remains my favourite goal, it's a great one to look back on but I've scored some equally good goals as well."

A few weeks later he had to swallow a bitter pill at Leyton Orient when he was red carded: "It was harsh. I was on the goal line and from a couple of yards out the ball was hit, it hit my hand, I couldn't get out of the way, so it was a penalty and the ref sent me off."

The 2002-03 season saw Danny as a regular and during that season he knocked in an impressive 14 goals, three of them in extra time in one game against Barnsley in the League Cup, which the Silkmen won 4-1.

The midfielder recalls: "It was a very good game, we took them to extra time and played really well and we were unlucky not to win it in normal time but we got into extra time and they just fell apart, we got on top. I like to get forward and into the box, that's my game, and I was lucky that three balls fell for me and they all went in.

On that return of goals, his career best, he said: "I always try and get to double figures if possible, that's my target every season, anything else is a bonus, so if I can get close to that this season, it will be fantastic."

During his time at Moss Rose, he remembers: "I played against Chesterfield a couple of times for Macclesfield and was on the bench a few times. They were always tough games." Having experienced our old home he added: "Moving in to the new ground will make things quite different to what is was like at Saltergate, we need to make that a fortress and see how we go from there. It looks nice."

There's at least one familiar face to Danny here at the b2net: "Tommy Lee came on loan from Manchester United when I was at Macclesfield and I played with him for half a season and at the end of that season he signed on permanently and I left to go to Port Vale. I know him well, he's a good keeper."

After 5 years in Cheshire he made the short move to Staffordshire, joining Port Vale. He remembers: "The first season I was there we were having a fantastic season, we started well, were up in the top six but in the last couple of months just fell away, which was unfortunate, we missed out on the play-offs and we didn't quite recover from that."

The following summer: "We sold a couple of good players and the manager was unable to bring in any better players because of financial reasons and we struggled and ended up getting relegated which was a real shame."

One of the low points of his time with Vale was an FA Cup encounter with non-league Chasetown: "It was just one of those bizarre FA Cup games, it happens to everyone at some time. The fans don't always understand it. They set out to just play defensively in the first game at Vale Park, they really frustrated us, so we went to their place for the replay, had two penalties which we missed so once that happens you just feel it's not going to be our day, and it wasn't and they scored late on to win."

Two years at Vale and then a certain John Sheridan signed him for Oldham Athletic where he teamed up with Mark Allott: "We started off at Oldham with me and Mark in the middle of the park. He likes to get around the park, getting in tackles and winning the ball which is fantastic for me because I can then get on the ball and start expressing myself, get forward and try and get goals."

On his style he added: "I can play on the left or the right as well as in the middle, which is my favourite position, but I'm equally at home wide so that favours me. I can adapt to either side or even play off the front man, which I've played for quite a few games."

Danny's pre-season build up has shown that look to have captured a real gem who could well become the first midfielder to reach double figures in a season for us since Paul Hall in 2005-06.

Welcome to Derbyshire Danny.