CROOKS: I’M A REDS FAN BUT WANT CUPSET
Man Utd v Middlesbrough
FA Cup 4th round, tomorrow, kick-off 8pm BY IAN MURTAGH
MANCHESTER UNITED were responsible for the worst day in Matt Crooks’ life when he was turfed out of their academy as a teenager.
But now Crooks (above) is praying they could be part of his best.
The Middlesbrough midfielder has always supported United, despite being born in Leeds – and rejection never damaged his love affair.
Tomorrow night he will come up against the club he has loved from childhood for the first time when Boro face United, with almost 10,000 away fans converging on Old Trafford.
It is only the second time Crooks, 28, has faced top-flight opponents in his career and he admits that he can barely remember last season’s FA Cup defeat at Everton, which was played behind closed doors due to Covid.
But his memories are still vivid of the day – 13 years ago – when United shattered his dreams.
“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” he said. “I thought my football career was all over. I was sat in this room with my dad, crying my eyes out. It felt like I’d let myself down and my family down.
“We went to the Trafford Centre afterwards and had an Indian, which was weird because it was the afternoon. We’d just got a new Nissan Micra and, because of what happened, I hated that car!”
Crooks moved nearer home, training with local club Huddersfield.
He said: “United had the biggest complex and best facilities, while my first day at Huddersfield’s Leeds Road it was absolutely chucking it down.
“I was muddy, soaked through and I remember thinking, ‘What have I done here?’, but, looking back, that experience stood me in good stead and helped me achieve my dream of becoming a footballer.
“I used what happened at United as my motivation to get a contract.”
Crooks holds no grudges and even admits he was fortunate to stay at United for as long as he did.
“They first tried to get rid of me when I was 11,” he revealed. “But I still trained with them and did all right, so they kept me on.”
Championship Boro have an impressive recent record at Old Trafford and boss Chris Wilder beat United during his days as Sheffield United boss.
So it promises to be a special night for Crooks.
“The family have had United season tickets for 40 years and I’ve been going since I was a little boy,” he said.
“So this is the biggest game of my career – and, hopefully, the best, too.”