Forgotten Man United star, 27, reveals the bizarre 'rules' enforced at the academy - and what Marcus Rashford did to help him settle in

Former Manchester United academy star Timothy Fosu-Mensah has revealed the 'strict rules' enforced by the Old Trafford hierarchy during his time at the club.

The 27-year-old, now a free agent, joined Manchester United's academy from Ajax in 2014.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Fosu-Mensah described how the switch from the Amsterdam club brought significant challenges, not least adjusting to the stricter coaching standards in Manchester compared with those in the Netherlands.

'When I went to Manchester, around 2014, things were different in the academy compared to how it is now,' he said. 'We had Brian McClair as head director and Paul McGuinness as my manager.

'They were tough, but good tough people, and there were quite strict rules compared to now. Things like you had to wear black boots.

'At that time I already had a Nike contract, so I only had coloured boots, and my dad actually sprayed one of my boots black for the first game against Everton, but the spray came off halfway through.

'You also weren’t allowed to wear gloves or any armour in games. At Ajax I was allowed to do everything, so that part was difficult at the start.'

Born in Amsterdam to Ghanaian parents, Fosu-Mensah began his career with Ajax's youth teams before making the move to England in 2014.

A versatile defender and defensive midfielder, he was handed his debut at the age of 18 by then manager Louis van Gaal in February 2016, in a 3-2 Premier League win against Arsenal. Marcus Rashford won Player of the Match after scoring twice to derail Arsenal's title challenge at Old Trafford.

Fosu-Mensah says Rashford stands out as a key team-mate and friend who helped him settle into his new surroundings.

'Marcus made it really easy for me because we lived so close,' he said. 'We went to college together. He was the first to get his driving licence, so he would drive us.

'Sometimes he’d just say, "Timmy, let’s go to town." The whole club made it easy for me, but him in particular.'

He also recalled being racked with nerves when van Gaal brought him on for his debut, though he ultimately felt he had achieved 'exactly what I wanted'.

'I came on at left-back and Daley Blind moved into centre-back. He helped me a lot because we were both Dutch, so he could talk to me and guide me through it. 

'That’s what I remember most – I was really excited and eager because this was exactly what I wanted.'

Fosu-Mensah spent spells at Crystal Palace and then Fulham between 2017 and 2019, before returning to United after a knee ligament injury curtailed his 2018–19 season in south-west London. He made just nine senior appearances for the Reds under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2021.

The Bundesliga side released him last year, and he has since been linked with a move to Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.