Ex-Man Utd star tipped by Louis van Gaal to be 'club great' released by League One side
Manchester United academy graduate Tyler Blackett is on the lookout for a new club after parting company with Rotherham United following their relegation from the Championship.
The 30-year-old defender joined the Red Devils at the tender age of eight and went on to feature for England at youth level from the Under-16s through to the U21s. He would not, however, play regularly for United.
Despite Blackett’s dearth of first-team opportunities, he was still held in high regard by Louis van Gaal, United’s manager at the time. And the Dutchman even predicted that the centre-half, who can also play left-back had the potential to become a club great.
“He is another young player that has risen through the Academy system to break into the first-team squad this season,” Van Gaal said of Blackett previously.
“Tyler has great potential and I believe he is at the right club to continue his development and progression to become a great defender.”
Since leaving Old Trafford, Blackett established himself in the Championship at Reading, where he made over 100 appearances. He also had spells at Nottingham Forest and in the MLS with FC Cincinnati before joining Rotherham in the summer of 2022.
Injuries restricted Blackett to just 18 appearances in total for the Millers, who have released 11 players as they prepare to rebuild their squad for a League One promotion push.
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Tyler Blackett playing for Manchester United
Blackett has insisted before that he has no regrets over his decision to leave Manchester United, citing the number of players who end up staying at one club for too long. “I wouldn’t say it was the hardest decision. It was a selfish decision,” Blackett told The Times previously. “We all have our own aspirations and we have to make decisions not for the team, but for personal reasons.
“Throughout the years you see players who you think maybe they should have moved on but they stayed at United. Every player has got their own aspirations and you have got to take charge of your own career.”
Rotherham finished the season rock bottom of the Championship – a staggering 24 points from safety. The Millers recently confirmed Steve Evans as their new head coach after axing former boss Leam Richardson.
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