TYRELL WARREN is the former Manchester United academy star that is best mates with Marcus Rashford and honed his craft under Jose Mourinho.
But none of that mattered when he put his old team to the sword in their embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby on Wednesday night.
Warren, 26, scored Grimsby’s second goal as they piled even more misery – and pressure – on Ruben Amorim’s failing Red Devils.
While he also dispatched his spot kick with confidence when Grimsby secured their place in the third round after United’s late fightback to force a shootout at 2-2.
It was a full circle moment for the defender, who spent his youth on the books at Man Utd playing alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay.
Warren left the club in 2019 after being released, joining Salford City to start his career in the lower leagues which ultimately led him to Grimsby.
Although it didn’t work out for him at Old Trafford, Warren still remembers what it was like to work under top managers – including being part of Jose Mourinho’s first training session at the club aged just 17.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said: “It was mad, to be fair, it was crazy.
“I didn’t really expect it. I came back from summer and (academy head) Nicky Butt said I was with the first team, which I was a bit surprised with.
“But I just had to go out and train and show what I can do.”
Warren claims he learned a lot from Mourinho, despite never making a first team appearance.
He added: “I learnt a lot from Mourinho and the players, the tempo of training, how hard you’re training.
“And I just took that back to the youth team and tried to do that in the training sessions with them.”
Unfortunately for Warren he was never able to make that breakthrough into the first team fold, but plenty of the players he played alongside in the youth team did make it.
They included Rashford, McTominay, Axel Tuanzebe, Dean Henderson and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.
Rashford, now on loan at Barcelona, has remained close with Warren ever since.
In fact, the pair actually holidayed together ahead of the new campaign, and even got in some private pre-season preparations as Rashford prepared for his Man Utd exit.
Mancunian Warren said: “There were obviously a few of us at the time, all the same ages, all from Manchester, from the same area in Manchester, playing for the same local teams in that area and district.
“So it was easy to get on with each other and get to know each other.
“He (Rashford)’s been to a few of my games with the rest of my mates and it’s interesting to see he’ll still come and watch with his mates.
“He’s not forgotten about friendship and it’s all about friendship.”
Warren reckons that pal Rashford will “definitely” find his fine form of old in Spain.
Many will think Amorim could have done with the England international as he scrambled to get back into the game on Wednesday night.
Instead, the only Carrington graduate that could hold their head up high was Warren, who put in a superb performance both defensively and going forward.
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