Busby Babe gets visit from ex United and City players after making one special wish

A former Manchester United player and manager was taken on a trip down memory lane after a group of ex-players dropped in to say hello.

Wilfred 'Wilf' McGuinness, 86, was visited by retired Manchester United and Manchester City stars at his care home in Sale. He now lives at Oakfield Croft, and had made a wish to spend an afternoon with some of Manchester's iconic football players at the home's wishing tree.

The tree is a special initiative allowing residents to revisit old careers and hobbies that range from a fish and chip supper, a skydive or watching a football match. Wanting to help celebrate Wilf’s impressive career, the team at Oakfield Croft quickly got to work organising a special reunion party.

They invited Tony Whelan, former United defender, to give a speech and present Wilf with a personalised shirt.

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Steve Fleet, ex-Manchester City player and old friend, and Fred Eyre, ex-Manchester City player and BBC commentator, also visited the home for the special occasion.

Wilf said: “What a surprise to see everyone, I loved it. All the hilarious stories that everyone spoke about, it brought back some amazing memories. Steve, Fred and Tony are great old friends, and it was lovely to receive the shirt. What can I say, it was a great day Oakfield Croft organised for us!”

Fred also enjoyed the special afternoon, commenting: “I had the best day ever, reliving all the old memories and chatting to the old boy footballers.”

The team adorned the home with football banners and Wilf’s England caps and shirts, and Head Chef, Paul Ogden, baked special football cupcakes for everyone to enjoy.

Wilf was born in Manchester in 1937 and was signed for the Manchester United youth team in 1953. He quickly progressed through the ranks, famously becoming a ‘Busby Babe’ under Sir Matt Busby’s management.

Aged 18, he made his debut for the club, playing his first match as a wing half. He went on to earn two caps for England, but after breaking his leg aged 22, his playing career was cut short.

Wilf then began coaching for Manchester United, and in 1969, after Sir Matt Busby retired, he was appointed the Manager of Manchester United. Aged only 31, he became the youngest manager of the club, and he went on to lead Manchester United to three cup semi-finals.

In 1970, Wilf became the Reserve Team Manager, and at the end of the football season, he moved to Greece for four years and led Panachaiki through their first appearance in a European competition.

Daniel Cole, home manager at Oakfield Croft, said: “The team at Oakfield Croft made it their mission to surprise Wilf with a day he certainly won’t forget, and this special reunion did just that.

“Wilf is a football legend here in Manchester and so it was an honour to celebrate his fantastic career with some of Manchester United and Manchester City’s most iconic players. The reunion brought back so many fond memories for Wilf and he hasn’t stopped talking about it.

“I want to say a massive thank you to Tony Whelan, Steve Fleet and Fred Eyre, as well as the team here at Oakfield Croft who helped make Wilf’s wish come true!”