Ben Amos, who represented both Manchester United and Hull City during his career, has confessed he remained at Old Trafford beyond the point he should have departed.
The 36-year-old arrived at United in 2001 and spent time on loan at various clubs, including Hull City, before finally ending his association with the Theatre of Dreams in 2015.
United kick off the new top-flight campaign with an away fixture at Hull City on Saturday afternoon, and one player with connections to both clubs is goalkeeper Amos. He began his footballing journey at Crewe Alexandra before being let go when he was just 10, but Manchester United soon came calling.
Amos moved to United in 2001 after impressing during trial periods and became a regular in their youth setup. He travelled with the senior squad for a pre-season trip to South Africa during the summer of 2008 and made his first-team bow shortly afterwards in a League Cup encounter against Middlesbrough. However, in the subsequent years, Amos would be sent out on loan almost every single season.
Peterborough United represented his initial temporary switch, followed by Norwegian outfit Molde, Oldham Athletic, the aforementioned Hull, Carlisle United and Bolton Wanderers. Amos acknowledges with the benefit of hindsight that he remained at United longer than advisable, having grown up supporting the club and yearning for a chance, before completing a permanent switch to Bolton 11 years ago.
Speaking exclusively to the Manchester Evening News in 2024 regarding his United departure, Amos stated that by the time he left he felt prepared for it. He explained that he had spent a couple of years hanging around waiting for even the slightest opportunity and needed to push forward having already delayed too long. He felt he was playing catch-up to some extent. With hindsight, his approach would have been to recognise he was not featuring regularly enough and move on, yet he wanted to linger in the hope of an opportunity that could transform his trajectory. He noted that a sequence of five impressive performances for Manchester United does tremendous things for a player’s prospects. Looking back, he acknowledged lingering too long after Sir Alex Ferguson departed, though as a United supporter he would have been filled with regret had something occurred. He revealed his debut came about because of a couple of injuries and that one must be positioned correctly at the right moment to seize such chances.
Amos accumulated seven senior appearances for his beloved United, predominantly in domestic cup competitions. He secured two League Cup victories during his time there alongside a pair of Under-21 Premier League titles, having featured 55 times at that youth tier.
Amos reflected that he participated in the occasional cup fixture, considering them worthwhile despite sacrificing regular weekend action, particularly given his status as a United supporter. He believed those opportunities justified remaining at the club. He was training alongside exceptional players and gaining knowledge daily. Overall, he described the training environment as demanding before being fair. The club consistently emphasised maintaining standards. At times it seemed excessive, yet it had delivered results for numerous years. Every training session resembled a match in its intensity. While it may not sound significant from the outside, when immersed in it, the sessions held as much importance as competitive fixtures. He described the experience as unsettling and intimidating. At 17 or 18, United operated under the philosophy that if an individual possessed sufficient ability, age became irrelevant, meaning those training with the senior side were expected to meet that standard. No special treatment existed for being young. Having been a lifelong United supporter, suddenly he found himself within that environment. Should anyone fall below the required standard, they would receive the same conversation as anyone else. Youth did not invite differential treatment. Everyone faced identical expectations. It was a case of sink or swim.
Despite swimming ably, Amos found himself unable to overcome the obstacles presented by Edwin van der Sar and David de Gea, the seemingly unstoppable first-choice goalkeepers throughout his United career. He eventually abandoned his childhood ambition to join Bolton, though the decision did not prove disastrous.
During the 2015/16 season, Amos found himself thrust into a demanding Championship campaign but delivered solid performances for the relegated Bolton side. A disappointing loan stint with Cardiff City followed, but a temporary move to Charlton Athletic for the 2017/18 season revitalised his career significantly.
He registered 13 shutouts across 46 league outings for the Addicks, and Millwall secured his services on loan the subsequent campaign. Amos featured sparingly before returning to Charlton on a permanent basis. He completed two respectable seasons with them before signing for Wigan without a transfer fee at the age of 31.
There, he experienced the pinnacle of his post-United career, finishing as a League One champion during the 2021/22 season. Amos departed the Latics two years ago for Port Vale and this summer completed a positive switch to Championship promotion contenders Burnley. His decision to turn his back on his boyhood club Manchester United has established him as one of the most dependable EFL goalkeepers operating at present.