Championship boss takes ex- Manchester United defender on trial, a year since Old Trafford exit

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Manchester United had high hopes for Brandon Williams, and the free agent is now fighting for a return to football.

A handful of former Manchester United talents currently find themselves without clubs ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Earlier this year, we looked at five former United academy stars beginning 2025 as free agents.

Josh Harrop turned to the Baller League earlier this year, but remains without a club while Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Tyler Blackett are still awaiting their next opportunities.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah is looking for his next club, while speculation has surrounded Brandon Williams after more than a year out of the game.

United released Williams at the end of his contract in 2024, but the defender spent the 2024-25 season without a club.

• READ MORE: Manchester United’s Best Academy Players of All Time

Hull City offer Brandon Williams a chance

Williams has considered retiring, with some off-field issues certainly hampering his chances of returning to the game.

The defender initially impressed so much in the United first team, but a loan move to Norwich City seemed to set him back.

Williams was never able to get back on track, and he is chasing a new opportunity at the age of just 24.

Besiktas have been linked with Williams as former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer considers a reunion.

Williams has now joined Championship side Hull City on trial and will look to impress enough to win a contract.

Hull faced Sunderland in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday night, and Williams came on in the second half for a valuable run-out.

Hull take on Getafe in their final pre-season friendly before the Championship season begins, so Williams will hope for another chance to impress.

The Tigers have hit financial problems this summer and may see a free transfer move for Williams as a bargain way to hand defensive depth to new boss Sergej Jakirovic.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
12	LiverpoolLiverpool	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
13	Manchester CityManchester City	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
14	Manchester UnitedManchester United	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
15	NewcastleNewcastle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
16	Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Hull City boss on Brandon Williams

Jakirovic will be the one to decide whether Williams earns a contract, and the Bosnian certainly appears to be open-minded.

Speaking to the Hull Daily Mail, Jakirovic admitted that he believes everybody deserves a second chance, and that’s why he is considering a deal for Williams.

Jakirovic highlighted Williams’ ‘high level’ of quality from his United days, but understands that Hull need to go ‘very, very slow’ with the defender after so long out of the game.

The Hull boss added that Williams asked for a chance to play during training on Monday, and his desire to feature for the Tigers has shone through.

“I like to help people because everyone deserves a second chance in life,” said Jakirovic.

“I spoke with him very honestly, and I explained to him what I expect from him. We will be very careful, very, very slow. We have time, so we will try to help him.

“I think the quality is there because he was on a high level at Man United, so his quality is there. We need him to bring good fitness, and then we will make a decision. For me, his mentality is good. From our conversations, he’s a very normal guy.

“He just asked me yesterday (Monday), ‘can I play?’ and then I asked him, ‘do you feel comfortable to play some minutes?’ His desire is there, and so is the hard work. On Saturday, we left him here in Hull to carry on training and so far, everything has gone according to the plan,” he added.

Williams will now hope to win a contract at Hull, or at least put himself in the shop window with other clubs after receiving this first major chance since leaving United.