FORMER Manchester United wonderkid Febian Brandy turned down the chance to sign for Barcelona after a cheeky slap on the head from Sir Alex Ferguson.
Brandy, 36, never broke into the first team at Old Trafford after nearly 15 years on the books – but things could have been very different.
GettyFebian Brandy was one of Manchester United’s top-rated talents in the 2000s[/caption]
Getty Images – GettyBrandy (bottom row, second on the left) played alongside big names at United[/caption]
He was considered one of the best youngsters around when he was coming through the ranks in the mid 2000s.
And his reputation spanned across Europe too, as both Real Madrid and Barcelona were keen on trying to snatch him away from the Red Devils as a teenager.
Barcelona were so impressed by Brandy’s efforts in a youth tournament that they lodged a £1MILLION bid for the youngster.
The offer was rejected by United boss Sir Alex Ferguson following a slap on the head and a chat in the hallway about being loyal to his local club.
Manchester-born Brandy told SunSport: “We went to a few tournaments when we were 14 to 16 years old.
“One of the tournaments that sticks out was one in Spain. In the tournament there was teams like Real Madrid, PSG, Ajax, Barcelona – all the top European teams.
“We didn’t qualify out of the group stages, but I must have had a worldie of a tournament because I ended up getting player of the tournament.
“About two weeks after the tournament, some Spanish guy – I don’t know how he got the number – rang my mum and dad’s house phone.
Febian BrandyBrandy spent nearly 15 years on the books at Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd[/caption]
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“My mum picked up and he said ‘we’re interested in your son Fabien.’
“About two weeks later I went into training and Sir Alex Ferguson walked past me in the corridor and said ‘have you heard?’.
“I had a feeling what he was talking about, but you have to be respectful so I played dumb. He said ‘Barcelona are interested in you, what are your thoughts?’
“I said, ‘Listen, boss. I’m a local lad. I’m from Manchester and I see my career here, this is the place that I want to be’. Then he just slapped me on the head, called me a good lad and walked away.
“Things started to come to fruition in the weeks that followed, and I think they [Barca] made a £1million bid which obviously Sir Alex rejected and I didn’t hear anything of it from then.”
That decision meant that Brandy stayed put until 2010, leaving as a 22-year-old in search of a new challenge after coming up through the youth ranks alongside the likes of Ravel Morrison, Jonny Evans and Danny Welbeck.
Brandy had gone from training with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville – players he recalls being like “big brothers” to him – to trying to find his next club and the next step in his career in the lower leagues.
He had lined up a deal with Sheffield United in the Championship, but broke his metatarsal in the last minute of his last game for Man Utd’s reserves – scuppering the move.
From there injuries meant Brandy was never able to settle at one club, kickstarting a journeyman-like career that saw him play in Greece and Thailand as well as for the likes of Sheffield United, Rotherham and Rochdale.
People ask ‘should I have signed for Barcelona?’ Don’t get me wrong, the weather would have been nicer, but I’ve got no regrets.
Febian Brandy
That journey – which included 16 different clubs – ended in 2017 with non-league outfit Ebbsfleet, but Brandy has no regrets over turning down Barcelona.
He said: “I always saw myself playing for Man Utd, I didn’t really know anything else. I only really knew Man Utd and England. So when it did come to an end it was hard, I was upset.
“But I thought to myself, for my career, this has to happen. I didn’t want to be one of those players that was 23/24 and signing contracts just to be at a big club.
“I wanted to go and make a name for myself elsewhere. I was obviously upset, but it was something that had to be done.
“People ask ‘should I have signed for Barcelona?’. Don’t get me wrong, the weather would have been nicer, but I’ve got no regrets.
“There’s probably a few things I took for granted. Doing extra in the gym and making myself the best footballer I could have been.
“I had a lot of injuries and there’s things like that that I could have done better to have a better career. Other than that, I have no regrets.”
BladesBrandy moved to Sheffield United later in his career[/caption]
GettyThe forward also represented England at youth level[/caption]
One of the big reasons for Brandy being left with no regrets is that it was his Man Utd exit that led him to his latest venture – Skouted.
Brandy launched Skouted when his career came to an end, an app that helps unattached players find new clubs and clubs find the best new talent.
The app, which allows young players to upload clips of themselves playing for top clubs to browse through, has already helped in excess of 300 youngsters earn trials.
Had Brandy not embarked on his journey through the leagues, then he may never have started the app.
He explained: “When I was in my late 20s I had been battling with so many injuries and I started to think about my future.
“I didn’t really want to be a coach or a manager. That’s when I started to put Skouted in place.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and I think what really triggered it was that when I was at Man Utd, I was pretty fortunate to be there as long as I was.
“I was fortunate to get a contract every year from the age of eight until I was 22.
“I had friends that might not have been good enough to make it at Man Utd, but they might have been able to go and play at a lesser club.
“But when they got released their parents or their guardians didn’t have the connections to pick up the phone to someone in the Championship or League One and ask for a trial.
“That’s when I thought to myself, ‘I need to create something that’s going to bridge that gap between players and clubs’.
“Something where football clubs can find these players and players have got a platform to present themselves in front of these football clubs.”
X @febianbrandyBrandy wants Skouted to become a hotbed for talent around the globe[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
