The brilliant 'Crown Jules' of City's recent campaigns, Julian has erected remarkable foundations to his career before reaching the age of 21, and as a genuinely exciting striker has won himself a rare degree of hero-worship from the Filbert Street crowd. Signed professionally only two months into the second year of his trainee contract, having scored ten times in the first five youth games, plus the reserves' only goal to that date, he had an early senior bow, too, following injuries to David Lowe and Phil Gee. His first goal came three days later, in a League Cup tie in the city of his birth, and by the end of the 1992/3 term Julian's was a name noted nationally. For heading the list of his several spectacular strikes was the individualist goal against Barnsley in City's FA Cup exit which took the BBC's Goal of the Month award, and was runner-up in the Goal of the Season rating; while further evidence of his scintillating pace, forceful strength, and controlled, direct dribbling skills had amassed almost weekly.

Another sole rampage from the half-way line led to the goal advantage over Portsmouth which eventually saw City to Wembley in 1993, and Julian also led the fightback there against Swindon. His progress was maintained in the following successful promotion campaign, when he came on as sub and prompted the move which led to Steve Walsh's winning goal against Derby at Wembley; and he had claimed both City's first Premiership goal (against Newcastle) and a sparkling double in the opening victory over Spurs before a serious foot injury saw him sidelined for the bulk of the season. At representative level, Julian starred for England in both the 1993 World Youth Championships (scoring against Turkey) to put them into the quarter-finals, and against Australia to beat the hosts to third place) and the European Under-18 Championships a few months later, when he collected a winner's medal after being brought down for the match-winning penalty against Turkey at Nottingham.

His Under-21 debut came in March 1994 (hitting the bar after coming on as sub against Denmark), and his first goal at that level (against Malaysia in the Toulon tournament) helped index his eagerly awaited 1995 return to fitness.

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