Ex-Man Utd star who took on Andrea Pirlo quit the game to become a psychologist

A former Manchester United youngster once faced Andrea Pirlo but quit football to become a psychologist.

Johnny Gorman spent six years in United’s famed academy, starring in the same age group that boasted Jesse Lingard, Ravel Morrison and Michael Keane. He joined Wolves' academy in 2011, but was given the huge boost of being called up to the Northern Ireland squad before even making his senior club debut.

With just 30 minutes of football under his belt, Gorman played against Turkey as a 17-year-old. He went on to make nine international appearances before dropping further and further down the football pyramid.

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Now 30, the former winger has long left football behind for his day job as an assistant psychologist at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Foundation Trust. That is something he puts down to his time at Wolves between 2011 and 2013, where attending meetings focused on addiction, gambling and mental health shaped his thinking.

And despite finding a new career path, there is one game – against Italy in a qualification match for Euro 2012 – which he holds dear. Talking to The Mirror, Gorman recalled lining up against Juventus midfield legend Andrea Pirlo, who “didn’t break a sweat”.

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He said: “That Italy game was special, I will cherish that forever. The other games for Northern Ireland and Wolves were more viewing it, as you were there to do a job, with the constant pressure of having to build on what you had done before.

“But against Italy, that was always about the experience too. Any player at any level gets extra motivation when playing that calibre of team.”

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Gorman ended up swapping shirts with another classy midfielder after the game in Daniel De Rossi, who spoke fluent English. But the youngster admitted the anticipation surrounding his future played to his detriment in the long term.

He added: “At that stage, I was thinking about making 50 caps and then thinking about 100. That’s what (international teammate) Warren Feeney had said to me, that was the potential longevity I had.

“So suddenly you start thinking about how many caps you are going to win, rather than just becoming a better player. It distorted everyone’s perception of me – including probably myself.”

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