Exclusive: Liam Grimshaw chats to the Manchester Evening News about his experience growing up at Man United, being in awe of Sir Alex Ferguson and his passion for writing.
Liam Grimshaw has opened up on his time at Manchester United and his passion away from football.(Image: Getty Images.)
Liam Grimshaw was 20-years-old when he decided to step out of his comfort zone and leave Manchester United on a permanent basis.
After joining the club in 2002 as a seven-year-old schoolboy, the midfielder dreamt of making a name for himself at Old Trafford and following in the footsteps of countless famous names.
Despite making his mark for the club’s reserves, the Under-21s and signing his first professional contract under the gaze of Sir Alex Ferguson, he never got the opportunity to earn his United debut.
Reluctant to sit around and wait for an opportunity that might have never come, Grimshaw, who was born and raised in nearby Burnley, joined Preston North End in January 2016, joining the club on a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
Asked if that juncture was the ideal moment to leave Old Trafford to try and develop his career, Grimshaw told the Manchester Evening News: “Definitely, 100 per cent. When I left, Sir Alex had left about two seasons before.
“You could see a few of the changes in the club that were set in motion then that might still be affecting the club today. As soon as Sir Alex left, you could tell there was a change of atmosphere in the club.
“It had gone from having a real family sort of feel. You can look back with rose-tinted glasses, can’t you, but I think I was privileged enough to be there in a very special era and that was in the twilight years of that period.
“I suppose I was just privileged to be there then. I can’t speak too much for what has gone on over the last ten years or so, but I think times have changed, and I was just happy to spread my wings and was realistic enough to recognise that if you have not made it by about 20, you’re probably not going to.
“You have to go elsewhere and try to forge a career for yourself elsewhere.”
Liam Grimshaw came through the ranks at Old Trafford.(Image: John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images.)
Grimshaw arrived at Deepdale nursing an injury that sidelined him for six months. It meant his Preston debut was delayed until the opening weekend of the 2016/17 campaign.
His time at the Championship club was difficult, limiting him to just eight appearances. He joined Chesterfield on loan for the second half of the 2016/17 campaign.
Having left United to drop into the Championship to try and make a name for himself, Grimshaw could have easily felt a sense of disappointment at finding himself in League One just 12 months later. However, he is adamant he has no regrets about how his United career came to an end.
“I suppose at the time I got to an age where I had played plenty of reserve team football and had trained plenty enough with the first-team as well,” he explained. “But I got to an age when I got fed up of playing in the reserves and I wanted to go and test myself.
“You want to prove yourself in senior football and I had the opportunity to go to Motherwell on loan [in September 2015] and I took it. I took it with both hands, to be honest.
“I fancied getting out there and testing myself and I played 15 games at Motherwell while on loan and did relatively well and Preston then signed me from Man United. It would have been nice to have had an appearance for the first-team, but at the same time, I was more than realistic enough to know that those who make it into the first-team are few and far between.
Liam Grimshaw struggled to make his mark at Preston North End.(Image: Kevin Barnes – CameraSport via Getty Images.)
“I definitely have no complaints. It would have been nice. A few of my pals who were in digs with me stayed and did get a couple of appearances, so you never know if I would have stayed. But there are certainly no regrets.”
Grimshaw, who has been without a club since leaving Dundee United in August last year, has fond memories of his time at United. He was in the company of household names throughout his time at Old Trafford, not least Ferguson.
The legendary United boss, who retired at the end of the 2012/13 campaign, made a lasting impression on Grimshaw, who was often impressed by the high standards he set for everyone associated with the club.
Grimshaw recalled: “I do remember going into his office, him sitting me down and United offering me a two-year deal. It is a very special memory.
“His persona and his aura was incredible, but he was just so down to earth, really. Whenever I had any dealings with him around the club, he would always be speaking to anyone in the club like he spoke to Cristiano Ronaldo.
“He would be speaking to the kit staff or the chefs like he did to his first-team players. I think that is certainly one reason why they had so much success over his time at Man United.”
Sir Alex Ferguson enjoyed a highly successful career at Old Trafford.(Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images.)
After returning to Preston following his loan spell at Chesterfield in the second half of the 2016/17 season, Grimshaw, who has also flexed his muscles at right-back during his career, departed Deepdale again at the end of the 2017 summer transfer window, returning to former loan club Motherwell on a permanent basis.
It was the beginning of a successful marriage between himself and the Scottish Premiership outfit. Grimshaw spent five years at Fir Park, playing more than 100 games for the club.
Motherwell are one of three Scottish clubs Grimshaw has played for in his career, also representing Dundee United and Greenock Morton.
“It might sound a bit daft, but I think the Scottish game itself, and I don’t know if it is now, was like how the English game was 20 or 30 years ago,” said Grimshaw when asked why he was able to thrive in Scotland. “It was very up and at them.
“Even though the quality might not always be there in some of the games, they are always high energy games and that suited the way I played. I just got on well with the people up there; they were very down to earth and similar sort of people to where I’m from back home.
“Motherwell was the perfect club for that. They were a very community-driven club. I have still got a lot of my pals up there now, and that is not just football players – it’s people in the community as well, such as Motherwell fans.
Liam Grimshaw thoroughly enjoyed his time at Motherwell. (Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images.)
“I just settled really quickly, and my wife and I spent the vast majority of our adult lives there after leaving Burnley when we were about 19 or 20. We were up there for the best part of ten years.
“I have nothing but good things to say about Scotland and the people. They are very friendly. I also think the Scottish game doesn’t get the credit it deserves. I know a lot of folk in England poke a bit of fun.
“I think it has definitely got certain aspects that if we could bring back to the English game, it would be refreshing, certainly in the Premier League. But I think that ship has sailed now! But I only have good things to say about Scottish football.”
After leaving Dundee United in August last year, Grimshaw is yet to find himself a new club. He is now spending a lot of time travelling with his wife and young daughter.
His travels give him an excuse to enjoy one of his favourite hobbies: writing. The former United youngster has a passion for putting his experiences and thoughts down on paper, and his personal blog – Thoughts from the Foothills – is his platform to do so.
Outlining his passion for writing, Grimshaw said: “I was always into my writing at school; I loved writing. I never did it outside of school, but I suppose it came quite naturally in English classes and that sort of stuff.
Liam Grimshaw created his own blog to share his writing.(Image: Thoughts from the Foothills.)
“I probably didn’t write for ten years after school, maybe longer, to be honest, in any sort of capacity. In fact, I tell a lie, I did a couple of bits for a family in Motherwell when I was first up there when I was 19.
“My brother is a professional cricketer in the Lancashire League for Rishton and he had a really good season for Ramsbottom. They won the Worsley Cup which is a big cup for the Lancashire league and they had an incredible season.
“He scored more runs than anyone has ever scored in that cup competition in history. Michael Clarke, an Australian batter, is below him, a few West Indians, top names, and he was top of that. He got 149 in the final and I wrote a poem about it.
“I don’t know why, but it was a great day, a brilliant day and hundreds of people were there. From then on, I just carried on with my writing because I enjoyed doing it and I thought ‘why not, I’ll keep writing’.
“I suppose I just needed somewhere to post a few of my bits, really, so I set up my website which I post on semi-regularly; I should post on it more, and I am going to try and post on it more. I suppose with travelling at the minute, I have got a bit more content themes, in terms of explaining what I’m doing. I have a bit more inspiration for my writing at the minute with being away.
“I was trying to raise some money for charity and I wrote a poem about Burnley. Burnley is my team; I’m a Burnley lad.
Liam Grimshaw has a passion for writing.(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images.)
“I worked with a local illustrator on that and we were raising money for a local charity. It didn’t do as well as I’d hoped, but I still managed to raise about £500 or £600 for two local families who had just had deaths in the family, so they were two grieving local families and we raised some money for their local charities, so that was good, and it is still available on the website now.”
Grimshaw created his blog with the idea of sharing his passion for sport, history, poetry and travel.
“Basically, it is just a platform for me to write down my thoughts on a range of things,” he continued. “I like writing about sport. I am very keen on history and travel.
“I have quite a passion for travel. If I am in a new city, I try to get to a sporting event or obviously try and find out about its history.
“For example, while we’re in Melbourne, we are going to as many things as we can. We are going to see Rugby League and go to the races; I love my racing.
“I have a big passion for sport and history, and getting it down on paper is a hobby of mine. I have been paid to do a few articles for Nutmeg Magazine in Scotland, which is a really good football magazine. I think I have done about eight articles for them, and one of them got picked up for The Herald in Scotland.
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“I have done a few bits and bobs, but it is definitely something I would like to try and investigate more and put a bit more time into it as well.”
Summarising his love for writing, Grimshaw concluded: “That is exactly it. I have always enjoyed doing different things outside of football, but early on in my career, with the pressures of coming through at a place like Man United and moving on, you are always striving for the next thing and sometimes my focus would have 100 per cent been on football.
“That never wavered, don’t get me wrong, but I think over time, I just learnt to use other things alongside my football. Sometimes you have to take a step away and relax and I think my writing was one of those things that helped me do it.
“Some lads would go and play golf or have a beer, but I think writing was certainly one thing for me. I would also enjoy watching live sports. It is a bit of a hobby and I have been lucky enough to have had a couple of pieces picked up off different places.
“I think I should definitely continue with it, and you never know where it might lead.”