Josh Harrop: ‘My dream was to play at Old Trafford. If it was only once, that was enough for me’ | Manchester United

For almost eight years a bottle of champagne has sat with pride of place in Josh Harrop’s house. The cork will, according to the midfielder, never be popped. Instead it will serve as a reminder of how he lived out his dream of making his Manchester United debut at Old Trafford.

Stockport-born Harrop rose through United’s academy before being given his debut aged 21 by José Mourinho. Playing alongside Wayne Rooney and Paul Pogba, Harrop scored the first in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace to earn the man-of-the-match award. A new three-year deal was on the table but a desire to play regularly prompted him to move to Preston, leaving that 90 minutes in 2017 as his imprint on United history.

“If it was only once, that was enough for me,” Harrop says. “My dream was to play at Old Trafford. It wasn’t even to score, it was just to play and make a debut.” He still has his shirt, and the champagne offers a more visible reminder. “Whenever people come in, I say: ‘Just make sure you don’t touch that one’ because I will never open it. I think I’ll take it with me for life. It’s funny, because a few people pick it up and have a look at it. It’s like an ornament for me. I should get a glass case around it.”

After a promising first season in the Championship at Deepdale, Harrop sustained cruciate ligament injury which kept him out for 11 months. A skilful and inventive No 10, Harrop did not always fit into Alex Neil’s rigid style, although he has a healthy YouTube reel of spectacular free-kicks and long-range stunners.

“I always used to have a bit of a scuffle with Neil all the time,” Harrop says in a Manchester cafe, with the DJ Marc Riley on the next table. “I said something to him like: ‘I should be playing.’ Then he called me in the office and said: ‘You’re going to put all your talk into words on Saturday because I’m going to start you.’ I was like: ‘Perfect.’ It was live on Sky as well against Stoke. I was thinking: ‘I’ve got to actually step up now.’ It was my first game back [from injury] in the league. I think we won 3-1, I scored and I had a little chip back on my shoulder.”

The quality Harrop possesses is undeniable but injuries have played a part in stagnating his career. The latter part of his time in Lancashire was dogged by a tendon injury that was difficult to diagnose and treat. “I’d seen every specialist you could possibly see,” Harrop says. “Scan after scan, injection after injection. Nothing was making it better. I’d train, I’d go home and I’d have to sit down because I physically couldn’t walk around.

“This is the side people don’t see. I was on holiday with my girlfriend and could not walk from the hotel to the restaurant, so had to get a mini-scooter. I had to have a backpack on because you had to carry a helmet with you … Wherever we used to go, I used to get on this mini-scooter on holiday. I think to myself: ‘It’s not normal.’”

Platelet-rich plasma injections solved the matter but after leaving Preston for Northampton he cracked cartilage in a knee almost immediately. He has been without a club since leaving Cheltenham in the summer through a mix of false promises, clubs lacking finances and bad luck. The 29-year-old spent pre-season with Morecambe, had time with Mansfield and maintained fitness at his local club Altrincham but a suitable deal is yet to be found.

“It’s not easy because everyone you know around you always knows you as the footballer,” he says of being out of work. “Nothing’s fallen into place at the minute. I had a lot of opportunities abroad and in Scotland but I’ve lived away for two years. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, no issues. I’ve done a full two seasons of being fit. In my mind, I’ve still got five years left in my career.”

Harrop will be back on the pitch soon, although in very difficult circumstances. He has signed up to play in the Baller League, a six-a-side competition in London backed by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and KSI, while Luis Figo will be a manager. It is not surprising that Harrop was targeted considering his playing style, being comfortable in tight spaces. The former Liverpool players Jordon Ibe and Jerome Sinclair will also be part of the competition, which starts with the draft on Monday before taking place over 11 weeks on Twitch, YouTube and Sky Sports.

“It’s funny because I was speaking to a friend about it one day and the next I woke up to a message asking if I wanted to play,” Harrop says. “As I’m a free agent, this gives me something to focus on – it’s also football and that’s what I love doing. The concept’s quite different to what I’ve ever done. I’m going to go, have some fun and enjoy my football. I’m still gonna be competitive, because I’m a competitive person. Hopefully I get a good team and we can win.”

The deal could be mutually beneficial. The Baller League hopes Harrop can help kickstart the concept in the UK, and the midfielder will want to remind people what he can do with a ball at his feet. If it is a success, maybe KSI can provide a bottle of champagne Harrop is willing to open.