- Ferguson oversaw the promotion of many of the United Academy’s top talents
- Former Red Devils boss handed a first-team debut to the Belgian defender in 2012
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Sir Alex Ferguson gave a number of talented youngsters their first starts for Manchester United during his legendary 26-year reign at the club’s helm.
But for every Cristiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney, there was also Alex Buttner or Chris Eagles. Unfortunately for the former Red Devils defender, who now works as a postman in his native Belgium, he didn’t even fall into the latter category.
Full-back Marnick Vermijl’s first senior appearance for the Red Devils came alongside Michael Keane and Scott Wootton as United claimed a 2-1 victory over Newcastle in the League Cup in 2012.
His second and final appearance was less productive, yet far more memorable. The Belgian played all 90 minutes in United’s infamous 4-0 defeat to MK Dons at the start of Louis van Gaal’s reign in August 2014.
Now, more than a decade later, the 32-year-old has continued to play regularly and currently plays for Belgian third division club KVV Thes Sport Tessenderlo – in addition to his responsibilities as a postman.
‘I had had enough of professional football.’ He told this to Voetbalprimeur. ‘You are too dependent on the trainer you have. Finding fun was also a big factor for me.
Marnick Vermijl made two first-team appearances for Manchester United before moving to Sheffield Wednesday in 2015
The Belgian made his first-team debut for Sir Alex Ferguson in a Carabao Cup match against Newcastle in 2012
Vermijl was part of the team that was defeated 4-0 by MK Dons in the League Cup in 2014
‘As a postman I have to get up at four o’clock, but now I get home around noon and I can pick up the children from school every day. That’s a luxury.’
The defender’s two appearances for United followed a loan spell at Dutch club NEC Nijmegen. He eventually left Manchester for good in 2015 and moved to Sheffield United.
Although that spell proved to be short-lived and led to a loan spell at Preston – which would eventually be made permanent after 12 months – after he failed to impress at Hillsborough.
Vermijl spent three seasons at Deepdale but made just 20 league appearances before joining Scunthorpe and Dutch club MVV Maastricht on loan before completing a permanent move to the latter in 2019.
The defender played for the United Academy side alongside the likes of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Ravel Morrison and Michael Keane. He impressed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he played for the Standard Liege youth team.
But his story ultimately resembles that of Lee Roche, who played for United in the Champions League in 2003 but was forced to retire at the age of 27 and reportedly plied his trade as a plumber and cavity wall remover.