Eight years after hanging his boots up, former Manchester United midfielder Philip Mulryne has swapped football for the church after he was ordained as a deacon, with priesthood expected to follow in the coming months.
Mulryne, who played with the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham during his time at Old Trafford, made several appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson but was mostly used in cup games, making just one Premier League appearance against Barnsley back in 1997.
The former Norwich, Cardiff and Leyton Orient midfielder started training to be a Roman Catholic priest in 2009, enrolling in the Pontifical Irish College in Rome where he spent two years studying philosophy
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He then began a four-year theology degree in Belfast.
Mulryne made 27 appearances for Northern Ireland throughout his career, scoring three goals in a 10 year stint.
We wish you all the best in the future, Philip. Featured Image Credit: