• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Man Utd starlet who was part of 2017 Europa League-winning squad is now without a club after sad decline

Home> Football> Football News> Man Utd

Updated 16:58 20 May 2025 GMT+1Published 16:59 20 May 2025 GMT+1

Man Utd starlet who was part of 2017 Europa League-winning squad is now without a club after sad decline

The former Manchester United academy star has been looking for a new club since last summer

Chris Nee

Chris Nee

When a player who's part of a squad that wins a European trophy in 2017 is struggling to find a club at the age of 27 eight years later, something's probably gone awry.

Manchester United are heading to the Europa League final in Bilbao this week hoping to continue their post-Ferguson ability to collect silverware with reasonable regularity even as their star is fading.

If Ruben Amorim's Red Devils can overcome an equally hapless Tottenham Hotspur side in Wednesday's final, they will win their first European trophy since coming out on top in the same competition under Jose Mourinho eight years ago.

Advert

Despite the evidence of future history, Mourinho's team for the final, a 2-0 win over Ajax in Stockholm, wasn't without its talents.

United's starting line-up featured Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata. Ander Herrera has his fans at Old Trafford. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian have all enjoyed impressive careers away from United.

The Red Devils' bench at the Friends Arena against a team boasting Andre Onana and Matthijs de Ligt among its starters, was something to behold.

Advert

Listed along with David De Gea, Phil Jones, Jesse Lingard, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial was 19-year-old defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

He never made it onto the pitch for what would have been an emotional triumph.

Amsterdam-born Fosu-Mensah was at the end of his first full senior season as a United player after joining their youth ranks from Ajax in 2014.

He'd been given his first start by then-manager Louis van Gaal against Watford in March 2016 and his compatriot was positive about his performance.

Advert

"Watford pressed us very high and we gave the ball away. Because of that they had several chances," said Mourinho's predecessor.

"But Timothy has saved us three times I think because of his speed and I was very pleased he was on the pitch. I let him stay on the pitch in the second half because we was the player who always closed the door for us."

Loans to Crystal Palace and Fulham followed in the two seasons after United's Europa League win and the injury issues that opened the door for him at United transferred to his own destiny.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah at Bayer Leverkusen (Image: Getty)
Timothy Fosu-Mensah at Bayer Leverkusen (Image: Getty)

Advert

He played just 16 Premier League games for Man Utd before signing for Bayer Leverkusen in the January transfer window in 2021.

Named in the squad just seven times and never playing a minute, Fosu-Mensah had to look in from the outside as Xabi Alonso guided Leverkusen to historic, invincible Bundesliga success last season and successive serious knee injuries have decimated the last six years of his career.

He was released last summer and has been unable to secure a new club ever since.

As well as a training spell with Jong Ajax, Fosu-Mensah underwent a trial with Cesc Fabregas and Serie A side Como at the start of this season. It came to nothing.

Advert

At 27, Fosu-Mensah is no lost cause.

But he is a reminder that football can be a short career and is played by human beings even at the very highest levels.

It's worth your da remembering that next time he's caught on camera in a red-faced rage spitting insults at a player half his age just for taking a corner.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Europa League, Man Utd, Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen

Chris Nee
Chris Nee

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
4 hours ago
6 hours ago
  • 3 hours ago

    Viktor Gyokeres transfer saga takes new twist as club make significant decision over Sporting star

    Gyokeres remains a Sporting player - but the saga appears to be nearing an end.

    Football
  • 3 hours ago

    Real Madrid fans want player sold immediately despite win over Pachuca in Club World Cup

    Real won 3-1 against Pachuca - but fans were not totally happy.

    Football
  • 4 hours ago

    Real Madrid fans have made their minds up on Trent Alexander-Arnold after what he did against Pachuca

    Alexander-Arnold started his second Real Madrid match against the Liga MX side.

    Football
  • 6 hours ago

    Paul Pogba sends fans into meltdown as he posts four-word message ahead of his football return

    Paul Pogba excited fans with his social media post.

    Football
  • Man Utd re-enter race to sign Nations League winner who wanted to join them in 2023
  • Man Utd risk being BANNED from next season's Champions League even if they beat Spurs in Europa League final
  • Arsenal fans may be forced to support Spurs in Europa League final vs Man Utd after Champions League bombshell
  • Man Utd and Spurs fans face Europa League final nightmare as staggering full cost of trip revealed