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LEE ROCHE WAS ONCE A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAYER FOR MANCHESTER UNITED BUT THE CAREER OF THE RED DEVILS ACADEMY GRADUATE TOOK A SURPRISING TURN 08:00, 31 May 2025 Former Manchester United player

Lee Roche found himself out of football less than ten years after starting a Champions League match for the club. The ex-defender, who came through the ranks during Sir Alex Ferguson's

tenure, never fully established himself in the first team, but did make a few appearances for his childhood club. A standout moment for Bolton-born Roche was starting against Arsenal in the

League Cup, and his brief United career peaked when he started against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League in March 2003. With United having already secured their place in the

knockout stages, Roche was among several young players that Ferguson chose to start in Spain, alongside seasoned stars such as Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville and Laurent Blanc. Roche played for 45

minutes and was substituted at half time with United trailing 1-0, before they conceded another goal after the break to lose 2-0 in their final game of the second group stage. Despite his

European experience, it wasn't long before Roche descended the footballing ladder. After being released on a free transfer by United in the summer of 2003, he had spells with Burnley,

Wrexham and Droylsden before retiring from the sport at the age of 27, reports the Mirror. Article continues below Now working on a construction site post-football, the 44-year-old confessed

he didn't anticipate his sporting career ending the way it did, particularly given United's track record of successful academy graduates. Speaking to LFETV in 2012 about his

unexpected career transition, he expressed disbelief: "Definitely not. Especially when you sign for a club as big as Manchester United. You think you're going to be playing

football until you're 35. "The way things have turned out I've had to work, I've been working here for nearly three years and it's a bit of a change from playing

football, but you just have to get on with it." Since hanging up his boots, Roche had found support from the PFA and carved out new career paths, now being a qualified plumber and

owning a cavity wall insulation business. Article continues below Roche emphasised the importance of having an alternative plan for young footballers, stating that they should be more

prepared for their future beyond the pitch. "I have had a few fellow workers on the building sites asking me about United and how have I ended up here. It can get pretty tiresome so I

don't go shouting about that I played for United. "I do think young players today should be made to train as something, so they know about the real world. Most of them probably

don't have a plan to fall back on if they don't make it as a professional."