Callum McManaman was still living with his mum and dad. Callum McManaman was also man of the match in the FA Cup final. It is an odd juxtaposition to go with Wigan’s unique double in 2013, the FA Cup winners who were relegated in the same week. It is not the only unusual element to McManaman’s improbable tale: the footballer who stopped playing football, who was to all intents and purposes retired, faces Manchester United on Monday in the competition that propelled him to prominence.
It was a decade ago. “It feels like 20 years,” said McManaman. “It was surreal. It went from being no one knew who I was, still living in my mum and dad’s house. It was crazy, going from being basically a reserve-team player to playing in the Premier League and being man of the match in the FA Cup final.” It puts him in elite company: the others to receive the accolade in the 21st century reads like a who’s who of the footballing greats: from Steven Gerrard to Michael Owen, Thierry Henry to Alexis Sanchez, Wayne Rooney to Ruud van Nistelrooy, Didier Drogba to Frank Lampard, Kevin De Bruyne to Ilkay Gundogan.
