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Brandon Williams, a former defender for Manchester United, has shared his feelings of pain and longing for the game as he navigates a year without a club. The 24-year-old, who was let go by his long-time team Manchester United at the end of the last season, has been observing the sport from a distance this year.
Williams’ final match was in December 2023 while on loan at Ipswich Town. His career has taken a troubling turn, particularly after facing legal issues related to dangerous driving in March. He was found driving nearly 100 mph in Cheshire last August, an incident that culminated in a crash.
During an appearance on Ben Foster’s Fozcast podcast, Williams reflected on the emotional struggles he has faced. “I go into this mode where I just don’t care,” he revealed, stressing that while his family and friends encouraged him to return to football, they noticed his growing disinterest in the sport.
“It hurts me watching football now because I just want to be there, I just want to play,” he expressed. Williams reminisced about the camaraderie of being part of a team, traveling for matches, and sharing meals with teammates, all of which he misses dearly.
Having progressed through the ranks of Manchester United’s academy, Williams made his first-team debut under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019. Over his career with the club, he accumulated 51 appearances, including two in the prestigious Champions League, but struggled to establish himself as a regular starter. His journey also included loan spells at Norwich City and Ipswich Town.
At Ipswich, he worked under ex-Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna, who eventually opted to send him back to Manchester due to concerns about Williams’ off-field issues. “He said ‘get yourself sorted and come back as Brandon,’” Williams recounted, indicating that he was grappling with difficulties in his personal life during that period.
Upon returning to Manchester United, Williams encountered increased challenges, compounded by family and friend-related issues. He is set to face sentencing for his dangerous driving offense on May 9 at Chester Crown Court, where the circumstances of his driving behavior, and a related incident involving substance use, will be reviewed. Notably, while Williams was breathalysed after the crash, he tested negative.
Source
www.bbc.com