I felt empty as a Manchester United footballer - now I'm a priest and have no regrets
22.01.2024 - 05:39
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A Manchester United midfielder has bucked the trend of usual post-career plans for professional footballers.
Punditry and becoming a player agent are two of the most typical paths followed by former household names in the game, though one individual previously on United's books certainly does not fall under this category.
Philip Mulryne, who was part of the Red Devils' FA Youth Cup winning side of 1995, was spotted by a United scout playing for his parish team in Belfast as a 14-year-old and invited to the club for a trial. He went on to sign a two-year schoolboy contract at Old Trafford before signing a four-year contract as a professional in 1994.
He made his first-team debut for the club in a 2-0 League Cup defeat by Ipswich Town in October 1997 and his one and only Premier League appearance arrived on the final day of the 1997/98 season against Barnsley.
Mulryne was sold to Norwich City in 1999, in a deal worth £500,000, and remained at Carrow Road for six years. He would go on to represent Cardiff City, Leyton Orient and King's Lynn before hanging up his boots in 2008.
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Since calling time on his career, the ex-Northern Ireland international has become a priest in the Republic of Ireland. His official title is now 'Reverend Father Philip Mulryne' and is responsible for overseeing a congregation at St. Mary's Priory Church in Cork. To make this position possible, he embarked on a two-year philosophy degree in Rome and then a four-year philosophy degree before becoming a Dominican priest.
Describing how his journey from football to a respected religious figure