‘I performed for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd – I bought fed up and now I’m a postman’
Marnick Vermijl, once given a chance to shine by Sir Alex Ferguson in his last year at Manchester United, has embarked on a new journey as a postman.
The Belgian footballer lined up with Michael Keane and Scott Wootton to help the Red Devils clinch a 2-1 victory over Newcastle in what was then named the Capital One Cup in 2012. That match marked one of only two appearances Vermijl made for Manchester United.
His second outing was during the shock 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the same competition nearly two years later which saw Louis van Gaal dramatically overhaul the team. These days, Vermijl juggles playing for Belgian third-division side K.V.V. Thes Sport Tessenderlo with delivering mail.
READ MORE: Marcus Rashford told ‘you’re unprofessional, playing badly and Man Utd are 13th’
READ MORE: Ruben Amorim snubbed by Man Utd target who ‘wants to win titles’ as £70m deal unlikely
Having lost his love for professional football, the 32-year-old enjoys the balance of two jobs. Speaking with Voetbalprimeur, he said: “I was fed up with professional football. You are too dependent on the trainer you have.
“Finding pleasure was also a big factor for me. As a postman, I have to get up at four o’clock, but now I am home around noon and can pick up the children from school every day. That is a luxury.”
Don’t miss a thing with football updates!
Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news? Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star Football email newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to breaking stories, get it all in your email inbox.
How do you sign up?
It only takes a matter of seconds.
Simply click on this link, then provide your email address and that’s it, job done. You’ll receive an email with all of the top football stories.
You can also sign up for our sport email, Off the Ball, for all the latest darts, boxing, snooker, F1 stories and more, right here
In the void between his two stints for the Red Devils, Vermijl spent some time on loan at NEC Nijmegen, before waving farewell to Old Trafford to join Sheffield Wednesday, reports the Mirror.
After struggling to make an impact at Hillsborough, he transferred to Preston North End, initially on loan, before making the move permanent a year later. Vermijl spent three years at Preston before dropping down a league for a brief spell with Scunthorpe.
He eventually left England and returned to Dutch club MVV Maastricht, where he had previously been on loan, signing a permanent deal in June 2019. In July 2020, Vermijl moved to his current club, which has given his daily life a fresh perspective.
There have been several players who featured during the Ferguson era but didn’t manage to establish themselves long-term. Lee Roche, who played for United against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League in 2003, retired at just 27 and has since worked on a building site.
