'Man Utd said I'd end up working at McDonald's – or they'd buy me back for £100million'

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Callum Gribbin was tipped for big things at Manchester United . But at 26 years old, he isn't garnering the £100million fee that academy coaches once thought he might be worth.

The Salford-born dynamic midfielder joined United's academy at a young age and caught early comparisons to Ryan Giggs. Liverpool and Manchester City reportedly came calling when he was 16, but he committed his future to his boyhood Premier League side and penned a four-year deal, beginning with a one-year scholarship.

United icon Nicky Butt later sang his praises after an under-19 UEFA Youth League performance, but Gribbin's potential was never realised . He was released in 2019 after injury troubles and after spells with Barrow, Radcliffe and FC United of Manchester, he signed for Northern Premier League side Warrington Rylands in February.

Discussing his situation in 2024, Gribbin detailed his United departure , claiming that academy coaches stated he'd either return as a £100m footballer or be working in a fast food restaurant.

Speaking to The Athletic , Gribbin detailed what he was told upon leaving United. He said: "'Prove us wrong. You'll either end up working at McDonald's or we'll buy you back for £100million.'"

Gribbin continued: "I definitely see football differently now. As a kid, I just loved it. Then you get older and you realise it's ruthless and not as you imagined when you were growing up.

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"I can understand why so many people fall out of love with it. I've not gone through that myself – I don't think I have ever fallen out of love with it. But you do have this distaste for it sometimes because there are parts of the game that are cruel.

"I do have to take some responsibility and say, when I was younger, I didn't handle myself in the best way. I let myself down massively at times. Towards the end of my time at United, I was difficult.

"I wasn't getting a chance in the first team and I was unhappy about it. I went into self-destruct and started getting up to the wrong things away from football.

"I was immature and, because I was so talented, I think I relied on it. I abused it over the years. I relied on my talent getting me through all the time. So I do think I needed the lesson of getting released. I have grown up so much. Looking back, I see it completely different now from how I did at the time."

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Four years after leaving United, Gribbin suffered a gruesome injury . Playing against Warrington Town in 2023 he ruptured his knee ligaments and his career suddenly plunged into doubt.

His club at the time, FC United of Manchester, appealed for help and Gribbin applied for funding from the PFA to pay for a career-saving operation. It cost £7,500 and half of this was paid for by the PFA, with Gribbin's club funding the other half.

"If you're at a top club and you've done your knee, you're looked after in-house," he admitted. "The club will take care of everything and you don't need to worry about anything other than getting fit again. When you're at the bottom, though, it's nothing like that."

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