now I'm without a club and haven't played for two years

Louis van Gaal gave me my Man United debut - now I'm without a club and haven't played for two years

Timothy Fosu-Mensah is convinced his hard work "won't go unnoticed" as the former Manchester United defender looks for a new home two years on from playing his last competitive match

(Image: PA Archive/PA Images )

Timothy Fosu-Mensah, the ex-Manchester United defender, is optimistic about his future in football, insisting that his dedication "won't go unnoticed" as he seeks a new club after two years away from competitive play.

The Ajax academy graduate made a name for himself at Old Trafford, where he rose through the ranks to make 30 appearances for the senior team, a number that could have been greater if not for loan spells and injuries.

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Fosu-Mensah's career was hampered by an anterior cruciate ligament injury while on loan at Fulham in 2019, followed by another setback in February 2021 during his time with Bayer Leverkusen, limiting him to just seven league outings.

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Now recovered from those setbacks, the 27-year-old is eager to reignite his career following a season without a club.

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"Last season was the first time in my career that I've spent without a team," Fosu-Mensah shared with PA.

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"At this age it's quite early and I think quite strange for people. I know I've been working hard and hard work won't go unnoticed. That's what I believe.

"If you stay at home, you do nothing and then you think 'boom, OK, I'm going to go this club or that club', no, that's not how it works, that's not my mentality. It's definitely a fresh start and I've been working hard."

Despite his last competitive match being in April 2023, Fosu-Mensah is confident he won't find it difficult to return to the game, citing his fitness routine and the examples of others who have come back from various absences.

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After departing Bayer without making an appearance during their triumphant 2023-24 season, Fosu-Mensah has spoken about feeling as robust as ever, both mentally and physically.

Despite being on the bench several times and fit for nearly the entire campaign, he faced more unsettling issues following his release last summer.

"There was a couple of situations with agents here and there, which was a bit of a mess," he disclosed. "People were speaking on my name who I never even had contact with.

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"I would say like 80 per cent of the agents who were approaching clubs and people I didn't even know, who I didn't even had contact with. I think that was a big mess."

He acknowledged discussions about a potential move to the Championship during the winter – "some of them I was aware of, some of them I wasn't,".

His subsequent five months with Ajax proved advantageous, where he trained with both the reserves and first team, participating in behind-closed-doors matches, and continued with daily summer workouts in pursuit of a comeback.

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Speaking from his home in the Netherlands after one such training session, alongside Brian Brobbey and Steven Bergwijn, Fosu-Mensah expressed his enduring affection for Manchester United.

"I'll always be a fan of United," he affirmed. "Always. I came there when I was 16, I left when I was 23. I've had many nice moments, won a couple of trophies, especially in my first season.

"We all know United, we all know the history of United, we all know what United stands for.

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"Even this last season the Premier League was difficult for them but they reached the Europa League final, so it's something in the DNA of the club that they always want to win trophies.

"I have analysed the manager (Ruben Amorim) and I have seen a little bit how he plays and what he wants from his players.

"Jeremiah St Juste from Sporting Lisbon is a good friend of mine and he had great words for the manager, so I'm positive that United brought in a good manager."

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Fosu-Mensah is hopeful that "good things will happen to the club and to the players" next season, including Marcus Rashford who made his Premier League debut alongside him against Arsenal in February 2016.

"I just want him to be happy," he added. "Everybody just wants him to be happy.

"The most important things is for him to feel good, for him to feel happy. Look, the quality is definitely there. Nobody needs to say anything about this quality, because he's a top player."

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