What happened to the Australian wonderkid who signed for Man Utd after grandad sent scouts DVD of his skills

Rhain Davis was only nine years old when he said yes to one of the world's biggest clubs. "I have so many great memories from my time at Manchester United," he told SPORTbible. "Far too many to remember."

It is a story that begins in early 2007, when Davis' grandad sent a DVD containing some of his grandson's best moments with Redlands United, a local club in Brisbane, to several clubs around England.

At the time, the Davis family were planning to leave Australia for a new life in the UK but nobody expected then-Premier League champions Manchester United to get in touch so soon.

Rhain remembers it well. "Our games in Australia were recorded so my dad put together the video of in-game footage, which we then passed on to my English grandad," he told us back in 2020.

"My parents had planned on returning to the UK anyway, so I think the fact I had signed merely sped up the process. United were the first to get into contact and that was that really."

Clearly impressed by what they'd seen, United issued a statement shortly after the move was made official.

"We regularly get sent videos and DVDs of youngsters showing their skills, but it's rare they are of the quality that we need," a spokesperson from the club said.

Soon, a report from the Manchester Evening News compared Davis to a prime Wayne Rooney. The headline, slapped on the back page of their newspaper, read: "Man Utd sign footie genius, 9. Roo kid on the block!"

Davis, who was also picking up millions of views on YouTube after the highlights package was posted online, made his way over to Manchester from his Brisbane home and impressed in training.

He signed a deal and "never looked back".

"It was all a bit of a blur to be honest," Rhain recalled. "Back then, I don't think I was concerned about what was going on around me. I was just bothered about playing. I remember my dad asking whether I'd like to return home to Australia to say goodbye properly, and I had said no and stayed to play.

"I think that's what most nine-year-olds would have done."

It was a dream come true. As well as playing in a youth team with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, he was around first-team players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on a daily basis.

He even remembers chatting to Sir Alex Ferguson on several occasions.

"I think he was the person I was most apprehensive to meet," he said about his chats with Ferguson. "You hear all the stories, don't you, but he was great and was always good to the academy players. He genuinely wanted us to progress into the first team."

A broken leg changed the course of Rhain Davis' career

Unfortunately for Davis, his career was turned upside down after he suffered a broken leg, just two years before United handed out scholarships. He struggled to get back to full fitness and soon, he was released after six promising years.

"These things happen all the time in football," he said. "But I'd class myself as one of the lucky ones who was able to balance two career paths.

"I am grateful to have parents who understand life. Despite supporting my football every step of the way, they were always honest with me. They ensured that I got a good education, which I pursued after my time at United."

Rhain Davis (third bottom left) with his Manchester United academy teammates.

Following his release from the club, Davis decided to concentrate on his studies and during that period, Neil Tolson, who was Altrincham's assistant manager at the time, offered him a chance to play for the Manchester-based club.

He agreed and played a handful of games for the National League side but after picking up his A-Level results, the teenager decided to put his football career on hold.

Davis moved over the Pennines to study economics and business at the University of Sheffield. It was here, during his final year of study, that a former Manchester United coach offered him an exciting return to football.

Rene Meulensteen, a friend of the Davis family, invited the former United midfielder back over to Australia to train with A-League side Central Coast Mariners (CCM).

He took a year off and almost signed for the club, but the departure of Mike Phelan, who was the club's sporting director at the time, played a pivotal role in the deal being scuppered.

"I travelled back to the UK for Christmas, where manager Mike Mulvey and I agreed that I would return back to Australia after Christmas and sign with the CCM." Davis said.

"Unfortunately, during this short time, Phelan left his role at the club and returned to Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

"Mike Mulvey also left the club as manager and as nothing was officially signed, this left me not going back to Australia. Again, these unforeseen circumstances are just part and parcel of football."

Rhain Davis' prediction in 2020 came true

Despite the disappointment of his short spell in Australia, Rhain returned to Sheffield and graduated with a first-class honours.

Back in 2020, he said he was hoping to seek a successful career in finance.

"Football has been such an important part of my life and will absolutely continue to be," Rhain said at the time. "I guess the fickle nature of the game works both ways; you never know who might call and where that might take you."

Rhain Davis plays for Cheadle Town. Image credit: X

Now, Davis is juggling a successful career in finance with playing for semi-professional side Cheadle Town, who are members of the North West Counties Football League.

After a spell at Altringham, the 28-year-old also enjoyed a spell at West Didsbury & Chorlton, where he helped them gain promotion.

“Things didn’t turn out how I wished for at United, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he told The Athletic in 2022.