The Italian midfielder was promoted to United's first team in 2011 by Ferguson ahead of an FA Cup fifth-round match against Crawley Town. However, that was a one-off appearance before he was permanently inducted ahead of the 2011-12 campaign. During this stint at Old Trafford, there was a heated argument between the manager and the late Mino Raiola, which was recounted by Rafaela Pimenta during an interview with The Guardian.