BRICKIE JACK IS BUILDING CAREER
Redshaw delight to be a Shrimp
FROM Manchester City’s billions to laying bricks, Jack Redshaw’s career seemed in terminal decline, but after resurrecting himself at Morecambe he’s determined to do the family name proud.
Redshaw, 22, joined Manchester City’s academy at the age of nine – even though he’s a red at heart – and after showing enough potential as a young striker earned a professional contract, just as Sheikh Mansour’s money arrived.
The star signings came in, the youngsters went out and Redshaw found himself part of the lost generation of City kids that includes Burnley duo Kieran Trippier and Ben Mee.
After a failed move to Rochdale, Redshaw slipped out of the Football League. He scratched around with Salford and then Altrincham while working as a bricklayer with his uncle and knew his career was passing him by.
That was until Shrimps boss Jim Bentley took a punt and handed Redshaw the chance to follow in the footsteps of father Ray, a striker for Wigan in the 80s, and elder brother Mark, a Manchester United trainee who spent last season at FC Oss in the Netherlands.
After a slow start to his Shrimps career at the back end of last season, Redshaw has rediscovered his form and the last-gasp leveller against Wycombe earlier this month was his eighth of the season.
Redshaw says: “I thought my chance in the Football League had gone. I had left City when it was clear I didn’t have a future there and things didn’t work out after that. I went to Rochdale but it wasn’t to be for whatever reason and then I was just playing NonLeague, and getting by helping out my uncle.
“Then, out of the blue, Jim Bentley gave me a chance and at the moment I’m just trying to repay him for the faith he’s shown in me and the opportunity he handed me.
“Football was all I’d ever known and going from a place like City just as the money was coming in and the stars were signing, down to Non-League was difficult.
“It took a while to get my head together but now I’ve got another chance in the Football League I don’t want to let it go.”
While his brother Mark has had a globe-trotting career – enjoying spells in Italy, Australia, Cyprus, the USA with LA Galaxy, and Ice- land as well as the Netherlands – Redshaw has stuck to the north west.
But with Mark back in Britain from FC Oss and looking for a club having recently trained with Bury, Jack is hoping the pair can both emulate their father in the coming months.
Opportunity
“I just want to keep taking my chance and keep scoring goals when I get the opportunity on the pitch,” he added.
“At Morecambe we’ve got some good results so far and while it might not look like it in the table, we’re not that far away from pushing for the play-offs. It’s a funny league.
“Mark is back in the UK and he’s looking for a club. We were both influenced by our dad a huge amount in our careers and with a bit of luck we will both be playing in the Football League soon.”