The career of a footballer is short. One moment can change a career forever. When your aim is to make the grade at Manchester United, those split-second chances are even rarer. You have to seize them; grab them by the throat or they will pass you by.
It's even less common that a player does that and still slips through the net. Their big moment goes to script only for the success to be short-lived and self-sabotaged. It happens, though. Just ask Federico Macheda, who was given his moment in the spotlight 14 years ago by Sir Alex Ferguson.
It's April 2009 and Sunday's opponents Aston Villa lead 2-1 at Old Trafford in a contest that could have huge implications on the title race. The stakes are high and the pressure intense with United staring down the barrel of a third successive Premier League defeat.
