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What it’s like to leave Manchester United: A diary
Andy Mitten
Sep 11, 2024
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Will Fish recently left Manchester United, the club he had joined aged seven, to sign for Cardiff City for a £1million ($1.3m) fee potentially rising to £3million. United also have a buyback option and a 30 per cent sell-on clause.
The Athletic spoke to the 21-year-old central defender, who tells us what it was like during the summer playing with United’s first team while his future was up in the air.
Fish, who was born in Manchester, explains what it was like to play in front of more than 70,000 fans in Los Angeles, how an injury against Liverpool left him sweating over his chances of securing a new team this summer and the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to United.
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May and June
I was at Hibernian on loan for two years. I got everything I needed out of my time there and started games, apart from the first few months and when I was injured.
We didn’t finish where we wanted and the season ended badly — we had a chance of getting top six on the final day before the split (when the Scottish Premiership is separated into two halves for the final five games) but conceded a 94th-minute goal (in a 1-1 draw with Motherwell) and missed out.
We were direct at times but the new gaffer Nick Montgomery came in with a different idea of how he wanted us to play, making us more of a ball-playing team, which I enjoyed. The style contradicted what a lot of people think about Scottish football: that it’s a long-ball dogfight. It wasn’t long ball for us.
I enjoyed Hibs. I fell in love with Edinburgh as a city. I love my golf; I lived by the beach in Portobello and became real good mates with a couple of guys away from football.
I ended up going on holiday with them, as well as attending two of my team-mates’ weddings this summer; normal lads who helped me a lot when I moved somewhere by myself after only living in Manchester.
Edinburgh’s a football city; Hibs or Hearts. I played in the derby games and was fortunate to beat Hearts at home (a 1-0 win in April 2023). Hearing the fans sing Sunshine on Leith was one of the best feelings I’d had in my life. They even had a song for me to the tune of Calvin Harris’ One Kiss, which they changed the words to “Will Fish is all it takes”. That made me smile each time they sang it.
I watched the FA Cup final on holiday with mates in Marbella. I had a year left on my Man United contract and an option year — the club’s decision. There was talk of a contract extension with a view to me going on loan to a Championship club and re-assessing another year, but I had it in the back of my head that I was open to leaving on a permanent deal, and making a name for myself.
Fish and fellow United academy defender Rhys Bennett, right (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
July
I started United’s pre-season on July 8. I changed with the under-21s but trained with the first team.
What a step up, playing against lads like Marcus Rashford. People don’t realise how good Marcus is. He gets criticism online but, trust me, when he’s running at you one-v-one, you can easily get in trouble. He’s sharp, fast; he can move the ball and put it into the top corner.
Amad is fast and skilful, too. The standard of training is very high and coaches are more likely to get on at you as a young player rather than go for an experienced player. You don’t want to be picked out for not being switched on.
I’d been away for two years and the main building I was used to was under redevelopment. There were new staff: Ruud van Nistelrooy, who I thought was good. He took time to speak to me about football, to ask how I was.
I’d played with Jonny Evans against Lyon last year in Edinburgh. We then started the first pre-season game together this season, in Trondheim against Rosenborg.
He was great for me. We play in the same position but we had both come through the United academy and went to the same school at Ashton on Mersey. My grades weren’t as good as his but I did all right and got decent GCSEs.
He’s played so many games and holds himself to a high standard. He gave me little tips. He’d tell me about my positioning on the pitch. That helps so much. Jonny would tell me about my body position; the way you angle your body and the way your feet are facing. You must be switched on in my position, so prepare. If the ball is going to go over your right shoulder, then rather than doing a full turn, you turn less if you are facing the right way.
I tried to focus on training and games, but there was a lot going on in the background about my future. My agent constantly updated me with any developments. There were several Championship clubs interested and I went to have a look at a few, including Cardiff. There was also interest from MLS, a big club in Scotland and a club in Portugal.
Fish, centre, celebrates scoring for United’s Under-18s in 2019 (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
At United, I expected to be involved in the first team because a lot of players were still away. I started the first game alongside Jonny and thought I handled myself well in pre-season. We lost to a late goal, but we’d only been training for a few days while Rosenborg were match-fit and in the middle of their season.
Casemiro was in front, of us. Mason Mount and Rashford played. I observed Casemiro. He was so professional: always in the gym before training. On the pitch, he sees the game differently. He’s one step ahead, always wants the ball and passes around the corner.
For the game in Trondheim, we were in and out. We didn’t get a chance to see the city. There were fans outside the hotel waiting to see the other players. One fan did ask me for an autograph and knew my name. I suppose they’d remember my surname.
The next game was against Rangers at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. I could hardly tell my team-mates that I’d take them out for the night as we were in and out, but it was nice to finally beat Rangers — this time with United rather than Hibs.
Then, we went back to Manchester for a couple of nights before flying to Los Angeles for the pre-season tour. Of the first-team lads, Jonny, Harry Maguire, Tom Heaton and Scott McTominay were class with me.
Scotty played cards with us, took time to speak to me about Hibs, asked what my plans were and if I had any clubs lined up. I was in two minds — stay around and be fifth- or sixth-choice centre-half, or move and try to get myself playing every week. But then Jonny was maybe fourth choice last season and ended up playing a lot. You never know in football. Play one game, do well, and you don’t know where it can take you.
Erik ten Hag spoke to me only about football. He wants the centre-halves to wait on the ball until the opponent comes to you, then pass it off. Do that right and you can take an opponent out of the game. He wants the team to be in control, to make a back three, almost, with the two centre-halves and a midfielder. Darren Fletcher, the only British coach, came through a similar path to me. He had a good understanding of me as a player.
We stayed in an amazing hotel in Beverly Hills. I’m sure I’ll look back in 10 years and think, “Did I really travel to America with one of the biggest football clubs in the world at 21?”, but I just soaked it all in.
Fish and Erik ten Hag during United’s friendly against Rangers at Murrayfield in July (Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
We got a day off this year, which the lads appreciated. We played golf at the Trump course and we could go out for coffees in Beverly Hills. The first-team lads did the same and enjoyed not being recognised.
We played in front of 70,000 and 80,000. The architecture of SoFi Stadium in LA was amazing, the pitch less so — it’s not usually used for football. The atmosphere wasn’t intense.
August
We flew from LA to South Carolina to play Liverpool. I spoke to Mum and she was getting a bit stressed about my future. The uncertainty creates anxiety and other people around me were asking questions: my girlfriend, dad, stepdad, grandad and sister.
They were the ones who’d watch me play no matter where. My whole family are United fans — we’re from Manchester, so that’s normal — but all along, my agent said that what was happening was normal.
I’m pretty chilled but I didn’t know where I’d be in a week’s time. It comes to a point where I got anxious but I was always in control. I was going to have to make a choice.
And I still had to concentrate on playing. We played Liverpool in front of a huge crowd and I got injured. I was stretchered off.
It was my fault. There was a short pass and you don’t know whether to stay or go. I went for it, Harvey Blair nicked it, our knees clashed, and my right foot planted. I went over on the ankle I broke when I was younger. As I went off, there was fear in the back of my mind that I’d broken it again. I was taken into a room in the stadium and X-rayed.
Meanwhile, my mum woke up and saw that I’d been stretchered off. She was obviously very worried.
There was no break, so it was my ligaments. That meant I could fly back to Manchester straight after the game with the team. They put me in a boot and I continually iced it to keep the inflammation down during the nine-hour flight.
The physio helped me and we did the best we could do; otherwise, I would have had to stay in America. I had grade-two ligament damage, but it was a little more complicated than a standard grade-two. I went straight into rehab. I knew the timeframe of my injury — about a month — so I hoped that a club still wanted to take me. Meanwhile, Harvey, who I’d played with at United when I was younger, messaged me on Instagram.
Fish is stretchered off during United’s friendly against Liverpool in August (Peter Zay/AFP via Getty Images)
I got to the point where I had to decide on which club I wanted to join, otherwise the interested parties would move on to whoever was next on the list. I chose Cardiff City. Big club, fanbase, city and stadium, and a club that has been in the Premier League recently.
I liked their vision after speaking to the manager, Erol Bulut, a few times. He gave me a confidence and I felt really wanted. That’s the biggest thing you can have in football from a player’s perspective.
I agreed to join Cardiff on the Monday (August 19). On Tuesday, I went to say goodbye to everyone at Carrington. I waited until I knew it was happening and went to say goodbye, which was tough. I’d been at Man United for 15 years and some of the staff I knew had been there since I started.
People like Dave Bushell (United’s former academy player liaison officer) and Tony Whelan (academy advisor), two unbelievable guys who help young players and — crucially — my family. They were there to support; not just in football but in schooling too. I wasn’t one of these young lads who tossed school off because I thought I’d make it as a footballer. I tried hard and did alright in my exams — though I would have done better if I’d revised properly. Les Parry (loans manager) also kept in touch throughout my loan period and visited Edinburgh regularly.
There were physios who had helped me back from my leg break, people who’d been a big part of my life. The first-team lads were in a meeting so I couldn’t see them, but I messaged a few. It was weird driving out for the last time, yet at the same time, it felt right.
There was a mix-up over some of the paperwork, so I couldn’t fully sign until Friday morning, which is when I met my new team-mates for the first time. They were all sound. It seems like a good changing room.
There are a lot of experienced players, Aaron Ramsey, Calum Chambers, Anwar El Ghazi and Callum Robinson, who’ve played at the top level. Aaron, who loves the club, told me that I’d enjoy Cardiff.
The club had covered the hotel for me for two weeks. It’s nice at the start, but then it starts to become a bit of a slog, just lying on your bed. Mum has been to see me, my girlfriend, too. They helped as I found an Airbnb, which I’ve got for a month while I look for somewhere properly to live. I’m living out of one suitcase. I’m a decent cook who lived by myself for two years but I’ve got nothing to cook with. I’m going to invest in some good kitchen appliances when I get my own place.
I’m looking forward to the lads getting back from the international break and training with them. I’m not going to get straight into the team but I’ve got to do the best I can — try to get into the team and stay in it.
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