EXCLUSIVE: Macclesfield let him go, so he decided to knock on Fergie's door... meet Max Lonsdale
By John Edwards
Last updated at 11:04 PM on 19th October 2011
The huge timber entrance gates made Max Lonsdale shudder with apprehension, but not as much as the image waiting to greet him at the other end of the driveway.
Sir Alex Ferguson had advanced a yard or so from his front door and was standing stock still, hands on hips, face expressionless and eyes boring into the visitor edging tentatively towards him.
Clutching a sheet of paper and a DVD from his days with Macclesfield, Lonsdale was about to submit a job application that took Ferguson's breath away.
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The 18-year-old offered a handshake and told him: 'I want to play for Manchester United.' For sheer audacity, the United manager had never heard anything like it, but was curious to hear more.
By the time the young midfielder left, he was heading for a two-week trial that turned into a month and so nearly ended with a professional contract.
Even when reserve-team coach Warren Joyce broke the news that he had not quite made it, Ferguson wielded his influence to set up a trial at Doncaster and promised the door would remain open for him at United.
Taking a chance: Ferguson offered Lonsdale a trial after watching his video
Recounting the plan he hatched shortly after being released by Macclesfield, Lonsdale said: 'Macc told me they were short of funds, but I think I just wasn't right for them. They wanted big, physical players who would battle for 90 minutes, whereas I like passing the ball and trying to go past people.
'I knew I could play at a higher level and I couldn't stop thinking about United. I posted DVDs to other clubs but got nowhere, so I just thought, "Right, I'm going to do it differently with United. I'm going straight to Sir Alex". Don't ask me where that came from. I've no idea. I'm normally quite shy, but something inside triggered it. I suppose I wanted it so badly, I just thought you've got to do whatever it takes.'
Lonsdale told only his father of his plan. 'I didn't even mention it to my agent, because I didn't want anyone telling me I'd be wasting my time.
'My dad didn't think I'd go through with it, but he at least had a friend who knew where Sir Alex lived. We're only about five minutes away, so it wasn't too difficult getting the address.'
The difficulty for Lonsdale was finding Fergie at home. 'I went round twice, but it turned out they were away on holiday each time. The third time, his wife answered and I just said, "Oh, hello, is Sir Alex in, please?"
'I explained why I was there, because I realised a stranger just turning up on her doorstep might have been a bit scary. She actually seemed pleasantly surprised when I said I wanted to show him my cv and a dvd of me playing. It was like, "That's a new one on me", and she seemed quite impressed.'
Ferguson was away on a golfing break, but his wife told Lonsdale that if he called round at about five the following afternoon, he should catch him in. 'That was it,' said Lonsdale. 'As I drove home, I knew it was on. It was finally going to happen, at the fourth attempt, and I started feeling really nervous.
'It was clear he was a bit taken aback by the whole thing. You could just tell from his facial expression'
'In fact, I was shaking like a leaf and I didn't get much sleep that night. I was still shaking when I pulled up outside his house the next day and, to be honest, I wasn't sure I could do it. I sat in the car for a few moments before convincing myself I couldn't possibly pull out at this late stage.'
Lonsdale stood outside the gates, rang the buzzer and waited for a reply. He recalls: 'I think he was expecting me because the gates just opened without a word from inside. As I began to walk down the drive, the front door opened and there was Sir Alex. I'll never forget that moment. He just stood there, in front of the step, with his hands on his hips, watching me.
'The look was like he was sizing me up and, honestly, I've never felt so nervous. But he was brilliant with me. I think he was a bit sceptical at first, but once he realised I was genuine and deadly serious about wanting to play for United, he was great.
'He took me round to the patio and we sat there and chatted for about 15 minutes. To be honest, it's difficult recalling exactly how the conversation went because I had all these things I wanted to say to him, but they all came out wrong.'
Lonsdale had rehearsed over and over what he was going to say; how Malaga took him on when the family lived there and how, when they returned to England five years ago, his only thought was playing at the highest level here.
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'It all sounded great when I practised it but face-to-face nerves got the better of me,' said Lonsdale. 'It didn't come out right at all. It was all a bit daunting, but, equally, I knew he always had time for young players and liked people showing some guts. Sure enough, one of the first things he said was, "You've got tremendous courage coming here like this. I respect that".
'I told him I really believed I could play at the highest level and he asked me about my style of play, how old I was and whether I had any history of injuries. I said I was a left-footed midfield player who liked being on the ball, passing it around and taking people on.
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'It was clear he was a bit taken aback by the whole thing. You could just tell from his facial expression no-one had ever knocked on his door before and asked for a chance but, to be fair, he took a genuine interest and said he would look at the dvd.'
But driving home, Lonsdale felt he had blown his big chance. 'I had been nervous and fluffed some of my lines and I just thought nothing would come of it, then the following Tuesday I got a call from Warren Joyce, telling me to be at the training ground at Carrington on Friday for a meeting and look round.'
As the barrier lifted to let him drive into Carrington for the first time , Lonsdale thought, 'Flipping 'eck, it's happening. I'm in.'
Joyce, United's reserve team boss, told him Sir Alex had watched the dvd and would not have passed it on to him if he did not feel he was worth looking at and was giving him a two-week trial.
'Warren told me, "Believe in yourself. Don't start thinking you are up against world-beaters. Just be yourself and make the most of it".'
Lonsdale ended up staying more than four weeks and was almost sure he was there to stay. 'I played five reserve games in all, one alongside Darron Gibson, who said he couldn't believe I was only 18, and I trained with the likes of Darren Fletcher, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley.
'Warren said how well I was doing, and I thought I had every chance. Then one day after training he called me into a room. I knew it was decision time and the nerves kicked in again. He explained they had been waiting for certain players to go out on loan and free up some space, but they hadn't. They were younger players on contract and it meant he couldn't offer me anything. I was devastated. It was hard to take.'
Now, as he recovers from an ankle injury and waits for new Doncaster manager Dean Saunders to assess his worth, Lonsdale knows his progress will be closely monitored after the response to his Fergie initiative.
'The dream of making it at United isn't over'
'It has been phenomenal,' he said. 'There have been over 150,000 hits on the YouTube video of me playing in a youth game and countless blogs from United fans, wishing me well and wanting to know how I'm doing.
'The whole experience has been almost surreal, from parking my Fiesta next to Nani's Lamborghini Gallardo at Carrington to the amazing set-up there.
'There were sports scientists to check your body fat and diet and heart monitors that would be strapped on for training and checked for readings afterwards. And the food was quality. They didn't just serve up chicken, it would be in a range of sauces that were out of this world.'
Astonished former school pals have rung Lonsdale, asking, 'Was that really you who knocked on Fergie's door?' But he has no regrets. 'I'm so glad I did it,' he said.
'Even if I hadn't been offered a trial, I'd still have been proud of myself for having the courage to front up Sir Alex and ask for the opportunity.
'He was one of the last people I saw on my final day at Carrington. I was in the area where the players have lunch and he made a point of coming over to shake hands and wish me all the best.
'He also said I'd always be welcome to go back and train with them and that the door would never be closed. I just need to work hard at my next club, keep developing physically and try to find a bit more pace and it can still happen for me. The dream of making it at United isn't over.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2051073/Max-Lonsdale-interview-The-man-dared-knock-Sir-Alex-Fergusons-door.html#ixzz1bGwaCyPE
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