26 September 2023 , 09:27
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The signing of Andy Kellett raised plenty of eyebrows as Manchester United moved from their strategy of big name transfers to bring in a young League Two full-back
Months earlier they'd been breaking their club-record fee to land Angel di Maria as Louis van Gaal, a Champions League winning coach, scoured the globe for talent, adding the likes of Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw.
Kellett, then 21, had made his name during a loan spell at Plymouth in League Two. He was a fan favourite, but few expected United to keep tabs on his exploits before making a move. He admits he was 'taken aback' when he heard of the interest but insisted it was an opportunity he couldn't refuse.
He rubbed shoulders with some of the game's finest players, but now he's having to toggle his football commitments with work. Initially he became a roofer and now has a job controller for BT Enterprise while playing part-time for Bury, who are trying to climb back up the pyramid.
It was Di Maria who he claims helped break the ice at United training, with the majority of the squad no doubt wondering who Kellett was. He told the Athletic: “I remember my first day. I was surrounded by all these unbelievably brilliant players. I was new and Angel Di Maria introduced himself by nutmegging me. All the lads were laughing. I was, too."
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Kellett, 30, featured regularly for United's U23 outfit, helping them win the Premier League. His first outing at Old Trafford came for the age grade side against Tottenham, which featured Victor Valdes in goal with Radamel Falcao leading the line.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 21: Andy Kellett of Notts County during the pre-season match between Notts County and Leicester City at Meadow Lane on July 21, 2018 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)A real unique moment came shortly after when he played in a star-studded second-string side. “In another (under-23s) game, we had Falcao and Robin van Persie up front,” he said. “I was playing with Jonny Evans, the Da Silva twins (Rafael and Fabio) and young lads, stars of the time, such as Adnan Januzaj and Andreas Pereira. It was completely different to everything I had ever known.”
Kellett's next move was to Wigan Athletic followed by spells at Chesterfield, Notts County, Fylde, Alfreton Town, Guiseley and now Bury. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the well-travelled defender has pondered what might've happened had he turned down the dream move to Manchester.
He reflected and added: “It can be hard because when I look back at the start of my career, having that time at Manchester United, winning young player of the year at Plymouth and helping Wigan win promotion, that was all before I had turned 23. For the last five or six years, I’ve just felt like I’m falling and falling and falling.”
Kellett also wishes he'd tapped into the brain power at Old Trafford more and perhaps challenged Van Gaal on his standing. “The only thing I would change is that I wish I had put myself out there a bit more,” he admits. “I wish I’d had a bit more bottle to speak to the manager or ask the first-team players about their experiences."