Man Utd Class of ’92 graduate who moved straight to Man City had an interesting career
A little-known Manchester United academy graduate who became one of the rare players to move straight to Manchester City went on to have an amazing career.
The next Manchester derby kicks off at 4:30 pm on Sunday at Old Trafford, with managers Michael Carrick and Enzo Maresca facing off. There’s some extra buzz this time because Elliot Anderson called City the “Kings of Manchester” when he joined them in July.
Carrick can proudly say he’s won every Manchester derby he’s managed. His first game in charge was a 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s City at Old Trafford back in January.
Anderson isn’t wrong that City have been the stronger side in derbies since their 2008 takeover—they’ve won 22 games to United’s 21 in all competitions. But what he probably meant is how many titles City have won since United last won the Premier League in 2013.
Back in Sir Alex Ferguson’s time, United players only moved to City if the club allowed it—something that rarely happens now. One example is young midfielder Terry Cooke, who was loaned from United to City in early 1999.
Cooke came up through United’s youth ranks and played in the 1995 FA Youth Cup final team. He’s even in the famous ‘Class of 92’ photo alongside legends like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, and Paul Scholes.
Cooke was on the right side of that photo. Like the others, he made it to United’s first team but got few chances. Behind Beckham in the pecking order, he went on four loan spells before joining City permanently in April 1999 for about £600,000.
As City climbed the leagues, Cooke struggled to keep his spot and left after more loan moves, getting released in the summer of 2002. After a few more years playing in England, he moved to Major League Soccer (MLS), which was still growing at the time.
He signed for the Colorado Rapids, who played in a huge stadium that could hold over 76,000 fans. The team included future U.S. star Kyle Beckerman.
Cooke made his mark by scoring a penalty in a nail-biting 5-4 shootout win over FC Dallas, sending the Rapids to the Western Conference final. Though they lost 2-0 to LA Galaxy, they reached the conference final again in 2006, where they lost 3-1 to Houston Dynamo.
In 2007, the Rapids moved into their own soccer-specific stadium, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and Cooke made the first assist there in a competitive game.
Despite some early success, the team didn’t make the playoffs during Cooke’s last three seasons. His contract ended in 2009, by which time he had made over 100 appearances and even captained the side several times.
Years later, in 2020, Cooke was named in Colorado Rapids’ official all-time best XI. With 34 assists across five seasons, he ranks second all-time for the club.
The Rapids website praised him: “His skill shone in the final third, with perfectly timed crosses and great vision to set up his teammates. Cooke always seemed a step ahead of the game.”
Cooke finished his playing career with Australia’s North Queensland Fury and Azerbaijani club Gabala, which was coached by Arsenal legend Tony Adams at the time.
After retiring at 35, Cooke moved into coaching and now runs football clinics for kids across the U.S. His website says he uses his pro experience and the latest coaching methods, and his fun, energetic style keeps players coming back year after year.
He’s also been director of coaching at Denver Kickers, a soccer club in Colorado, balancing this with his other coaching work.