Former Man United academy graduate James Weir announces his retirement at only 28 years old – Man United News And Transfer News

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Former Manchester United academy product, James Weir, has been forced to retire due to injury.

The Preston born midfielder is only 28 years of age but has decided he can no longer continue owing to his injury problems that have plagued him throughout his career.

Posting on his personal Instagram, the former United man reflected on his career and thanked those involved in helping him break through into professional football.

The announcement comes after a long-running series of injuries that restricted him to just 26 league appearances since 2021.

The midfield man began his career at Preston’s youth team but made the switch to the Red Devils’ academy at the age of 13.

Weir rose through the ranks, playing for the under 18s and the under 23s. He would only ever make one appearance for the senior team, coming on as substitute in United’s 3-2 win versus Arsenal in 2015.

A game famed for another academy graduate’s announcement on the Premier League stage when a certain Marcus Rashford scored a brace on his league debut.

Weir would only play for 60 seconds as he came on as a 95th minute replacement for Ander Herrera and recently claimed in an interview with The Manchester Evening News, “I can tell my children and grandchildren that I played for Manchester United in the Premier League – although I may not mention the one-minute bit!”.

The academy product was one of many unexpected players who would make their United bow under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal.

Names such as Paddy McNair, Donald Love, Tyler Blackett and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson would all find game time during the Champions League winner’s reign.

The central midfielder, who played for England U19s, joined Hull and then had spells at Wigan and Bolton before heading to the continent, where he would don the colours of Slovakian team, Pohronie and Hungarian side, MTK Budapest.

His well-travelled career would see him finally play for FC Vion Zlate Moravce in Slovakia once more, before calling time on his career at only 28.

However, a cruciate ligament injury sustained in December 2021 would sideline him for 566 days and effectively end his playing career well before he hit his thirties.

Everyone in the Manchester United community will surely wish him a successful post-playing career.