Wrexham midfielder Ollie Rathbone has expressed that it will be a “humbling experience” when he plays against his former club Manchester United on Saturday. The 29-year-old midfielder came through the United academy, having spent eight years with the Old Trafford club. Rathbone will be forever grateful to Manchester United, despite being released by them in 2016.
“They really looked after me in quite important years and I can’t say a bad word about it,” Rathbone stated. He added that going through that academy was “something I’m very proud of.” During his time at United, Rathbone’s contemporaries included World Cup players Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominey.
Gratitude for Academy Foundations
Rathbone explained that his time at the club instilled fundamental principles. He remarked, “I kind of got a real good base of how hard you have to work to be a footballer.” Despite Manchester United being “such a glamorous club,” Rathbone noted that it “kind of really drilled in the basics into me of what it takes to be a professional footballer.” This grounding provided him with a strong foundation.
He further elaborated on the determination fostered by the academy. “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 said. The Blackburn-born midfielder did not achieve the first-team breakthrough that Rashford and McTominey did at Old Trafford.
Rathbone praised the academy’s success in nurturing talent. He highlighted its “good record of producing players to play in professional football.” While “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,” Rathbone pointed out a broader impact.
He added, “there’s also hundreds of players that have had fantastic careers in the league.” Rathbone believes that “the people at Manchester United are just as proud of them as they are of the headline names.” His upcoming match against them will be “a bit of a humbling experience playing against them again.”
Journey to Wrexham and Injury Setback
After his release from United in the summer of 2016, Rathbone joined Rochdale, where he remained for five seasons. His career then took him to Rotherham in 2021. In his first of three seasons at Rotherham, he played a part in helping the club achieve promotion to the Championship.
Rathbone made his move to Wrexham in the summer of 2024. He has since established himself as a key member of Phil Parkinson’s Championship side. However, his initial period at Wrexham was impacted by injury.
He sustained a serious ankle injury during a pre-season game against Sydney FC in July 2025. This injury led to him missing the first 20 league games of the season. Rathbone described the experience as a “nightmare.”
His return to action saw him score a late equaliser against Watford last December. Following his recovery, Rathbone became a regular for the second half of the campaign. Wrexham ultimately just missed out on the Championship play-offs in that season.
Looking Ahead for Parkinson’s Side
Reflecting on Wrexham’s performance, Rathbone stated, “I think if you look back at last season our form from the Christmas period onwards was promotion form, definitely play-off form.” He attributed the earlier part of the season to the team’s adjustment.
“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,” Rathbone commented. Wrexham’s preparations for their second season in the Championship will include a trip to the United States next week.