Ollie Rathbone, a seasoned midfielder for Wrexham, is gearing up for a highly anticipated friendly match against Manchester United, the club that once nurtured his footballing dreams. This upcoming encounter holds a special place in his heart, as he reflects on his time at Old Trafford with a mix of gratitude and pride.
Rathbone's journey with Manchester United began in the academy, where he was surrounded by the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, both of whom have since become World Cup champions. The experience, he says, was invaluable, instilling in him a deep understanding of the dedication required to become a professional footballer. Despite not breaking through to the first team, Rathbone's time at United left an indelible mark on his career.
"They really looked after me in quite important years," he acknowledges. "I can't say a bad word about it. It was something I'm very proud of to go through that academy. It gave me a real good base of how hard you have to work to be a footballer. Even though it's such a glamorous club, it really drilled in the basics of what it takes to be a professional footballer. It gives you that determination to have a career because you're fully aware of how difficult it's going to be and how hard you're going to have to work."
Rathbone's appreciation for his time at Manchester United is evident in his words, highlighting the importance of the academy system in shaping young talents. However, his career took a different path, leading him to leave United in 2016 and join Rochdale, where he spent five seasons. This move, he believes, was a necessary step in his development, as he sought to forge his own path in the football world.
"It's got a good record of producing players to play in professional football," Rathbone reflects on United's academy. "A lot of people speak about the Marcus Rashford's, the Scott McTominay's that have gone on to the top level of European football. But there's also hundreds of players that have had fantastic careers in the league. And I know that the people at Manchester United are just as proud of them as they are of the headline names."
Fast forward to the present, and Rathbone finds himself at Wrexham, a club he joined in the summer of 2024. His time at Wrexham has been marked by both success and adversity. A serious ankle injury during a pre-season game against Sydney FC in July 2025 sidelined him for the first 20 league games of the season, but he returned with a bang, scoring a late equaliser against Watford last December. Despite missing out on the Championship play-offs, Rathbone's performance in the second half of the season was a testament to his resilience and determination.
"I think if you look back at last season, our form from the Christmas period onwards was promotion form, definitely play-off form," he asserts. "I think that first quarter of the season was probably just the team gelling together, kind of working out where we were as a group."
As Wrexham prepares for their second season in the Championship, Rathbone is eager to build on the momentum from last year. The upcoming friendly match against Manchester United serves as a reminder of his roots and the importance of hard work and dedication in football. For Rathbone, this game is not just about facing a former club; it's about celebrating the journey that has led him to where he is today.
"As soon as it came about, it was quite a bit of a pinch-me moment," he shares. "To travel around Europe and play in one of the best clubs in the world is a privilege, really. It's something that I know that we're all really, really looking forward to. I think that's the benefit of having these quite high-profile friendlies. It kind of makes you raise your game a little bit that you can't really afford to coast through. So, it does bring the intensity up to where it needs to be going into the season."
Rathbone's words resonate with a deeper understanding of the footballing world, where gratitude and pride often go hand in hand with the pursuit of excellence. As he prepares to face Manchester United once again, he carries with him the lessons learned from his time at Old Trafford, knowing that the journey ahead is just as important as the destination.
