'I played for Man Utd but got bored of money and women so became a priest'
The Northern Irishman spent three years at Manchester United but only made five appearances before becoming a Catholic priest
Philip Mulryne has become a well-regarded member of the Catholic community after trading the football pitch for the priesthood. The Northern Irishman enjoyed a three-year stint at Manchester United but managed only five first-team appearances for the Red Devils.
Rising through the academy at Old Trafford, Mulryne had the ability to operate as a forward, midfielder or on the right wing - offering tactical flexibility to the squad. However, a plethora of stars, including David Beckham and Paul Scholes, meant that breaking into the first XI proved virtually impossible.
He ultimately departed Sir Alex Ferguson's outfit in 1999 to join Norwich City in a £500,000 deal, where he made 170 appearances and scored 20 goals from the midfield.
Subsequent spells at Cardiff City and Leyton Orient rounded off a distinguished footballing career. He also earned 27 caps for Northern Ireland, scoring three times in international colours.
Mulryne hung up his boots in 2008 and opted for a dramatic career transformation, rather than pursuing coaching or media work like many former professionals. The ex-player began his preparation for the Catholic priesthood at 31 following an epiphany during his final season at Norwich.
READ MORE: Man Utd's 7-hour crisis meeting before manager sacking speaks volumes after Ruben Amorim exitREAD MORE: Ruben Amorim fell out with SIX players before eventually being sacked by Man UtdIn a 2018 interview with the club's official website, Mulryne said: "It's hard to pin down a particular moment. I would say it started in my last year at Norwich, not explicitly and I wasn't thinking about it at that time but I started to get dissatisfied with the whole lifestyle.
"We have a wonderful life as a footballer and I was very privileged, but I found with all the surrounding stuff that eventually there was a kind of emptiness with it. I was quite shocked - why am I not happy when I have everything that young men want?
"It started me on a journey towards exploring my faith again, the faith that I had as a young man. I took a decision to come home for a year and it was really during that year that everything turned upside down.
"I volunteered at a homeless shelter for a while. I started going back to mass and I started praying again on a regular basis. I just found a real sense of fulfilment with it. Football was huge highs and lows and here was something that was giving me a steady sense of contentment."
The ex-midfielder, who now carries the title Reverend Father Philip Mulryne, was first ordained as a deacon in 2016 before becoming a priest for the Dominican Order in 2017.
Around this period, the former United player was declared bankrupt at Belfast's High Court. The Mail reported that it was understood the 47-year-old had invested money in a fund that exploited a legal loophole, offering tax relief to those investing in the film industry.
This arrangement was reportedly utilised by numerous other football stars, as it offered them substantial reductions on their tax bills. Before being declared insolvent, Mulryne held membership in Tudor Films LLP and Zeus Films LLP.
The priest suggested this bankruptcy was a "self-adjudication", hinting that he may have declared the problem himself. Now, Mulryne leads a congregation at St Mary's Priory Church in Cork and has no regrets about his decision to dedicate himself to the Lord.
He added: "My vocation to priesthood and religious life came later in the course of that year - I felt this strong desire for this way of life and I stayed with it for a few months and then got the courage up to explore it. I took the decision and it's now eight years later."
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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Source: Mirror
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