Carlisle, through David Wilkes’ youth system, had produced numerous impressive first-team players over the years yet few carried the potential of Matt Jansen and Rory Delap.

Both had become exciting fixtures in United’s team, Delap with his versatility and athleticism often in the right wing-back position, and Jansen with some elusive skill and goalscoring panache up front.

Carlisle, whose team through the autumn was under the caretaker management of Wilkes, John Halpin and – yes – owner Michael Knighton, found themselves accommodating increasing numbers of scouts as the two young prospects continued to deliver impressive displays.

Crystal Palace went head to head with Manchester United for Matt Jansen's signature (Image: News & Star)

Ron Yeats, Liverpool’s chief scout, was one regular visitor. Very few of the country’s top clubs, in fact, went unrepresented at Carlisle’s games. Both Jansen and Delap went to train for a spell with Derby County, while Jansen had also trained under the eye of Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

All this took place amid their ongoing efforts for Carlisle in Division Two. United had built some better results over the winter, with Jansen turning in some thrilling displays, yet by the turn of the year there were unstoppable signs of things coming to a head with the young forward and team-mate Delap.

With Knighton driving the respective bargains, Delap was the first to move. Derby struck a deal for the player from Great Corby. The 21-year-old, who was by now a Republic of Ireland international, moved to Pride Park in a deal reportedly worth an initial £250,000, rising to £1m.

Delap joined a Rams squad full of international talent, featuring the likes of Paolo Wanchope, Igor Stimac, Francesco Baiano and Stefano Eranio. “They can do incredible stuff with the ball,” said Delap after completing his move. “I got to know the lads when I trained down there, and I realised it is such a big club.

“When an offer came in, I couldn’t turn them down.”

Rory Delap completed his move to Derby in February 1998 (Image: News & Star)

As Delap settled into his new surroundings, the focus turned ever more intensely onto Jansen. As things developed, it emerged that Manchester United and Crystal Palace were going the distance for the Wetheral star’s signature. Derby boss Jim Smith withdrew from the race, claiming Carlisle’s asking price of £1.75m to £2m “stops the lad having a chance…small clubs are pricing themselves out of it.”

Not so, for Ferguson and Palace chairman Ron Noades were equally set on landing Jansen. As Carlisle’s Division Two efforts continued with a 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers, featuring a Jansen display that Rovers boss Ian Holloway rated Premier League quality, Manchester United made their case.

“We have shown an interest and we made an offer to Carlisle for Matt Jansen last week,” said Red Devils chairman Martin Edwards. “We are still waiting for a response.”

Jansen had emerged as a thrilling teenage star at Brunton Park in 1997 (Image: News & Star)

Knighton said three clubs had expressed an interest in Jansen, admitting that things were “reaching a crescendo”. Noades, for his part, claimed Jansen wanted to join Palace even as Carlisle insisted no deal had yet been done.

Man Utd had failed to sign Jansen in his younger days – and were destined for the same fate this time. While terms were agreed between Carlisle and both Man Utd and Palace, it came down to a decision for the player himself.

After careful consideration, Jansen decided that first-team football was likelier at Palace from the outset. In the boardroom at Brunton Park, he was urged by his father, Mat, to pick up the phone and deliver the bad news to Alex Ferguson.

With that difficult call completed, the young star signed for the Selhurst Park club. Knighton said of the moves for both Jansen and Delap: “I’m delighted for both young men, and they are good deals for the football club because we have been able to realise their full value.

Delap was quickly in the Derby first-team in the Premier League after leaving Carlisle (Image: PA)

“All the critics who said they are not worth that have been proved wrong. Both have broken the record. We have had both of these young starlets from 12 or 13 years of age. They are a credit to their families, a credit to Carlisle United Football Club and a credit to themselves.”

United, then, had to move on without two of their finest home-grown players, since there was still a relegation battle to win. Part of Knighton’s focus in terms of replacing the duo was trained on France, where he was set to scout more players from the country where Stephane Pounewatchy had so impressively emerged…one-game wonder Laurent Croci less so.

Another player in United’s sights was the Bolton Wanderers defender Simon Coleman, who was reportedly on his way with a two-year deal. That move, though, did not ultimately materialise, at a time Carlisle were also negotiating for the permanent transfer of lively loan attacker Nick Wright from Derby.

Jansen was also soon to make his mark for Palace in the top flight (Image: Tom Hevezi / PA)

Jansen had bowed out with a final Blues appearance in a 0-0 draw with Wycombe, while Delap signed off in a 4-1 Auto Windscreens Shield defeat at Burnley. Carlisle, without them, limped to a defeat at Plymouth Argyle and a draw with Walsall before a 1-0 defeat at Gillingham brought a solitary Blues appearance by Knighton’s latest continental capture, the former Cameroon World Cup midfielder Jean-Claude Pagal.

A brief flurry of wins was then followed by a nosedive as Carlisle tumbled to relegation, losing nine of their final ten games. As for Jansen and Delap…Premier League debuts were soon to follow, and a mark of their stunning rise came on April 18, 1998.

As Carlisle struggled on in the third tier, Crystal Palace faced Derby County, with Jansen and Delap in their respective XIs. New horizons for both, as United’s own outlook was sadly becoming smaller.