Fact File: James Wilson

James Wilson is set to become a Ram and Derby County's first signing of the summer transfer window - so dcfc.co.uk has taken a look back at the career of the Manchester United forward...

FACT FILEBorn in Biddulph, Staffordshire, James Wilson’s affiliation with Manchester United began at the age of seven.Often playing above his age group during his rise through the Red Devils’ youth ranks, he made his Under 18s debut as a 14-year-old in a friendly against Slovakian side Tatran Prešov on 31 October 2010.Wilson made his competitive debut for the Under 18s less than four months later, getting his first goal shortly after in a 2-1 win over Everton.Still at a younger age than most, the forward became a regular in the Under 18s during the second half of the 2011/12 season, scoring five times in 13 league appearances and twice in the FA Youth Cup.His form saw him make another huge step in his career at Manchester United as he made his reserve debut by the age of 16 against West Bromwich Albion – all before he had signed scholarship terms at Old Trafford.The fifth game of the 2012/13 campaign saw him score five goals against Newcastle United for the Under 18s - the second-most amount of goals scored by a Manchester United player at any level during the tenure of manager Sir Alex Ferguson.His form saw him sign professional terms on his 17th birthday on 1 December 2012 and finished the season as the Under 18s' top scorer with 14 goals in 13 league starts.The following season proved just as fruitful for the forward. Named Captain of the Under 18s, Wilson netted a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and on 10 March 2014 and successfully stepped up to the Under-21s without his goal output diminishing, as he terrorised defenders with his sprinting prowess and clinical marksmanship.His form was rewarded shortly after with his first taste of senior action on 5 April with a place on the bench for the 4–0 away win over Newcastle United and was also included in the matchday squads against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.Wilson’s first team bow came shortly after as he was handed his opportunity by the legendary Ryan Giggs and enjoyed a remarkable two-goal Premier League debut in the final home game of the 2013/14 season against Hull City.On 25 September 2015 he signed a new contract with the club until June 2019 with an option to extend for a further year.On 26 November 2015, Wilson joined Football League Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion on a loan deal lasting until the end of the season.In 27 appearances for the Seagulls, he scored five goals – two of which came against Derby County – as he helped Chris Hughton’s side reach the play-offs.

INTERNATIONAL CAREER

Wilson made one appearance for the England under-16 team, helping England towards a 10th successive Victory Shield title in a 3–0 win against Northern Ireland in March 2011.In October 2013, Wilson scored on his England under-19 debut in a 6–1 win against Estonia and backed that up on 3 September 2015 by scoring on his England under-21 debut in a 1–0 win against the United States.Tweets by @ dcfcofficial