Timothy Fosu-Mensah, one of the promising players who grew up at Manchester United's academy, has just shared about his challenging time at Old Trafford.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah used to play for MU.
Fosu-Mensah joined United in 2014 and quickly noticed a big change in the youth football environment. He said that under director Brian McClair and coach Paul McGuinness, the academy set very strict rules.
One of them was that players were required to wear black boots, which was embarrassing because he had a boot contract with a sports brand and only owned colored boots. Fosu-Mensah’s father even had a pair of boots sprayed black for a game against Everton, but the paint began to peel off during the game.
In addition, the young player was not allowed to wear gloves or protective gear on the pitch, which was a complete contrast to the comfort at Ajax. Fosu-Mensah admitted that the initial period of adaptation was difficult, but insisted that the strictness helped him mature.
Marcus Rashford has been the biggest help to him as he settles into Manchester. The two live close to each other, go to school together and are often seen together off the pitch. Fosu-Mensah says Rashford “makes things easier”.
Fosu-Mensah was handed his first-team debut by Louis van Gaal in 2016, in a 3-2 win over Arsenal at Old Trafford. His Dutch compatriot Daley Blind coached and reassured him on the pitch.
Fosu-Mensah then played for Crystal Palace and Fulham, then returned to MU before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2021. He left the German team last year and is now linked with Sheffield Wednesday.
More than a decade after leaving Ajax, Fosu-Mensah looks back with gratitude at the Man Utd environment, where strict rules provided a crucial turning point in his career.