United Debut: v. Hearts (H) 1-0 3/5/97.

Signed From: Orebro £100,000 30/10/96.

Transferred to: Rangers (player swap)* 31/12/02.

Thompson broke into the first team at the end of the 1996/97 season, and scored his first goal in the 9-0 win over Principat in the UEFA Cup at the start of the following season. By 1998 Thompson was used as back up for Kjel Olofsson under Paul Sturrock, scoring in a 3-1 win over Dundee at Dens. Thompson began a promising partnership with Billy Dodds during the 1999/00 season, but after Dodds' departure to Rangers half way through the season, both the team and Thompson's form dipped. Thompson's confidence fell as he scored only 2 goals in 46 appearances, but as Alex Smith took over, Thompson grabbed a goal at Ibrox in a shock 2-0 win over Rangers, and went on to score 14 goals over the next two seasons, winning a call up to the Scotland squad. Thompson hit top form at the start of the 2002/03 season, scoring 9 goals in 15 matches, but after much speculation was part of a transfer deal that brought *Billy Dodds back to Tannadice.