I played at Man City but when Manchester United called, I couldn’t refuse
Febian Brandy was a star of Manchester United’s academy and he played with some of the biggest names in football, but he turned down a move to Barcelona
At the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, he made the decision to hang up his boots at the age of just 29. Following his retirement, Brandy concentrated on his Skouted initiative, which aims to help upcoming football players.
An online community for football players of all ages and skill levels is called Skouted. It makes them more noticeable to scouts in the industry. During its latest trials, which took place across the UK, several individuals have already drawn interest from clubs.
Brandy has a contagious excitement for Skouted. His sincere desire to assist young football players, who might otherwise go unnoticed, is evident.
“I’m pleased with my accomplishments with Skouted. I’d love to assist every gamer on the planet, but I’m a long way from where I want to be. if it’s just beneficial
After he excelled in a competition for United’s academy, he received an offer from Barcelona. However, he turned it down and decided not to look back.
Brandy told the Manchester Evening News his story. “I was seven when I got scouted for Manchester United,” he stated. “The caretaker at Holy Name, where I was attending primary school, had ties to the club. Scouts were coming to watch me play and other things when I was playing for my local team, West End Boys, and I was doing well there.”
“No one really knows this, but I actually had two weeks at Manchester City before I went to United and I was there, but I just wanted to play football with my local friends kind of thing, so I didn’t really take the Manchester City opportunity too seriously.”
“I didn’t end up going back; I was a kid; I just wanted to play in the streets with my friends.”
But everything changed when I was given a chance at United. “I continued playing for my Sunday league team and then the opportunity at Man United came around and my mum and dad, they said ‘you’re not missing this opportunity!’ and then I signed for United when I was seven or eight.”
From then on, his training at United’s academy fast-tracked Brandy’s development. The quality education he received is the foundation of many successful youth players at the club.
Nevertheless, not every member of Brandy’s cohort was developing at the same speed.
Pros like Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Neymar, and Gerard Pique are among the best names in football to have competed in the Mediterranean International Cup. However, it was Brandy who stole the show at the 2005 event.
For a tournament, United’s youth team flew to Spain, where they played against elite teams including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Valencia. Against all three teams, Brandy scored. “I was 15 years old and I won Player of the Tournament and top goalscorer,” Brandy says.
Barcelona expressed interest in him shortly after. “Battle came in for me a few weeks later. I’m a Manchester boy, so it was wonderful that they showed interest in me and made an offer, but staying in Manchester was just the conventional thing to do at the time because Man United was slightly higher than Barcelona.”
Brandy’s carefree reaction upon being rejected by Barcelona demonstrates his laid-back personality. He was able to withstand pressure that others might have found unbearable because of this mentality. His parents were also very important in helping to keep him grounded.
To tell the truth, I didn’t really feel the strain. I’m simply one of those persons that just goes with the flow, so I didn’t really let it bother me.
“I believe that has always been my strategy—just a calm, collected, and easygoing approach. To be honest, I didn’t really let it bother me. I also have to thank my parents and United for keeping me grounded.”
Brandy excelled at United’s academy because of his modest demeanour. He soon gained recognition for his quickness, flair, and goal-scoring prowess.
Brandy was a member of United’s squad that advanced to the 2006–2007 FA Youth Cup final. United has a rich history in the competition. Even though they lost to Liverpool on penalties, Brandy was still giving an amazing performance.
Because of his regular performances for United, he had already represented England at several different age groups. Still, his favourite memory was not yet complete.
That’s because, in the end, he was called up to the first team by Sir Alex Ferguson for the Reds’ Champions League encounter against Roma at the famed Stadio Olimpico in December 2007. In United’s 1-1 tie with Italy, Ferguson started a youthful squad that included Wayne Rooney, Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, Nani, and Louis Saha. It’s interesting to note that Pique scored first before Roma pulled even.
An unutilized substitute named Brandy had a great perspective of the game. “That was undoubtedly the case when I was sitting on the bench for the Champions League match against Roma because we were unaware of the true situation.
“A couple of us trained with the first squad, and the boss just entered the room,
“Just walking down the tunnel past Totti, Mexes, just really big names. I think seven youth players travelled, but he only selected three youth players to go on the bench and I was one of those – that was a surreal moment.”
Growing stronger and older, Brandy was a regular for United’s reserves under Solskjaer’s management. This provided him with a unique viewpoint on how the Norwegian was inadvertently getting ready for one of the largest positions in management years down the road.
“I used to play with Ole when I was in the reserves because he would occasionally come down to get his match fitness. Thus, I had him as my reserve team manager after we played together,” Brandy claims.
“His qualities as a manager were always apparent. I’ve always stated that, not only is he succeeding today, but even when he first took over at United, I felt it was a wise choice because, well, I know
“I knew him as a player before as a coach, but Ole has this relaxed approach where he makes everyone feel at ease when he’s in the room, whether you’re a high-profile player or someone that’s starting at the bottom.
“Ole has excellent man-management abilities, which obviously not everyone will be aware of. What sets him apart from many managers is his ability to manage players who have won a World Cup to those who are still in the early stages of their careers.
“He has that adaptable style. You will not succeed in football if you do not approach players with that mentality because each player is unique. He has the ability to man manage each player to the best of their skills because no two players are the same.”
Brandy realised he would have to play football with the first team in order to advance. When he participated in the 2008 Champions Youth Cup in Malaysia, he became aware of this. Probably during our participation in the Champions Youth
Subsequently, Brandy made the decision to spend the second half of the 2007–2008 season on loan at Swansea. The Welsh club was attempting to get promoted from League One under the management of Martinez, who has since managed Wigan, Everton, and the Belgian national team.
“It suddenly made sense. Roberto Martinez was also at ease. I had to consider four or five choices before deciding on my loan, but I also considered my playing style and Swansea’s preferred style of play.
“When Martinez played for Swansea, they would often have 60–70% of the ball when they played, but they didn’t just waste the possession; they made it matter. Keep it, I thought to myself.
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At the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, he made the decision to hang up his boots at the age of just 29. Following his retirement, Brandy concentrated on his Skouted initiative, which aims to help the upcoming football players.
An online community for football players of all ages and skill levels is called Skouted. It makes them more noticeable to scouts in the industry. During its latest trials, which took place across the UK, several individuals have already drawn interest from clubs.
Brandy has a contagious excitement for Skouted. His sincere desire to assist young football players who might otherwise go unnoticed is evident.
“I’m pleased with my accomplishments with Skouted. I’d love to assist every gamer on the planet, but I’m a long way from where I want to be. if it’s just beneficial
“You’ve got to work hard, stay dedicated and stay true to yourself.”
From his origins in Moss Side, Brandy has indeed stayed true to himself, even playing against the world’s top football clubs
