by Former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams says it “hurts watching football” after being without a club since last summer. Williams was released by boyhood team Manchester United at the end of the 2023-24 season after his contract expired and has spent this campaign watching the game from the outside.
The 24-year-old’s last appearance came in December 2023 during a loan spell with Ipswich.
In March, Williams admitted to a charge of dangerous driving – he had been caught in August 2023 doing almost 100mph before crashing his car in Cheshire.
“I go into this mode where I just don’t care,” Williams said on Ben Foster’s Fozcast podcast, external. “I have this switch where I don’t care what happens. They [family and friends] wanted me to get back to football but they could see I’d fallen out of love with.
He also added
“It hurts me watching football now because I just want to be there, I just want to play. I miss being in a team, on the coach, travelling to games, having meals together and just doing things.”
Williams came through Manchester United’s academy to make his senior debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019.
The left-back made 51 appearances, including two in the Champions League, but struggled to tie down a regular spot and spent time on loan at Norwich and Ipswich.
He featured under Kieran McKenna at Ipswich, but the former Manchester United coach sent Williams back to his parent club after seeing that “something wasn’t right”.
“I had a few problems going on off the pitch at the end of the year,” Williams said. “He [McKenna] said ‘get yourself sorted and come back as Brandon’.When I did come back to Manchester, things increased off the pitch with family problems and friend problems.”
Williams will be sentenced for his dangerous driving charge on 9 May at Chester Crown Court.
They caught him driving erratically, reaching speeds of up to 99mph in a 70mph zone. The court heard that he had a balloon at his mouth in March.
The CPS said a female passenger was seen filming them at one point on her phone, adding that it was clear to witnesses that Williams’ Audi was out of control before colliding with another car.
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Williams was breathalysed, but the test was negative
The ‘ reset’ has Williams ready to go. Although Williams is looking for a way to return to the game, he acknowledged that he has struggled to handle the attention since making his debut for the first team at Old Trafford.
He met with Manchester United psychologist Mick Farrell, but he hesitated to fully disclose his struggles, fearing an insensitive response from the club. Williams claimed that Farrell would visit him in the morning to try to persuade him to leave his apartment on some “dark” occasions.
The England under-21 player feels he has had time to “reset” during his absence from the game and is prepared to return to action the following season.
“I want to have that feeling again of winning and being around the changing room environment,” Williams said. “I’ve had loads of teams trying to get me out – America, Europe and England – but I haven’t been ready. I want to go somewhere 100% focused and kick on”. I would like to experience that different culture. I’m only 24 so I could do three or four years abroad. Definitely Europe at a good club or an upcoming club.”
Brandon Williams’ candid interview paints a picture of a young player grappling with the transition from academy success to the pressures and isolation of professional football. His struggles, both on and off the pitch, have clearly taken a toll, leading to a period where he fell out of love with the game.
However, amidst the honesty about his “dark” times and the admission of dangerous driving, there’s a palpable sense of a “reset” and a burning desire to return. His eagerness, along with his young age, suggests a determination to reignite his career by experiencing a new footballing culture in Europe.
Ultimately, Williams’ future hinges on his upcoming sentencing and his ability to channel this renewed focus into positive action. While his past actions have undoubtedly created hurdles, his talent and the yearning he expresses indicate that this chapter of his story might not be over. Whether he can recapture the promise he once showed at Manchester United remains to be seen, but his willingness to confront his struggles and seek a fresh start offers a glimmer of hope for a potential comeback
