A former prospect from Manchester United once crossed paths with Andrea Pirlo on the soccer field but decided to step away from the sport to pursue a career as a psychologist.

Johnny Gorman spent six years honing his skills in Manchester United’s renowned academy, sharing the same age group as notable talents like Jesse Lingard, Ravel Morrison, and Michael Keane. In 2011, he made the transition to Wolves’ academy, receiving a significant boost when he earned a call-up to the Northern Ireland national team, even before making his senior club debut.

With only 30 minutes of professional play to his name, Gorman made his international debut at the age of 17, facing Turkey. He went on to accumulate nine international appearances before eventually descending the football hierarchy.

Now 30 years old, the former winger has long left his football days behind to work as an assistant psychologist at the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership Foundation Trust. He attributes this career change to his experiences at Wolves between 2011 and 2013, where he attended meetings centered on addiction, gambling, and mental health, significantly influencing his perspective.

Despite forging a new path in his career, there remains one match that holds a special place in Gorman’s heart – a qualification match against Italy for Euro 2012. In an interview with The Mirror, Gorman reminisced about facing off against the legendary Juventus midfielder, Andrea Pirlo, who appeared unruffled throughout the game.

He remarked, “That Italy game was special, I will cherish that forever. The other games for Northern Ireland and Wolves were more viewing it, as you were there to do a job, with the constant pressure of having to build on what you had done before.”

“But against Italy, that was always about the experience too. Any player at any level gets extra motivation when playing that calibre of team.”

After the match, Gorman exchanged shirts with another esteemed midfielder, AS Roma legend Daniel De Rossi, who spoke fluent English. However, the young player acknowledged that the heightened expectations for his future ultimately worked against him in the long run.

He explained, “At that stage, I was thinking about making 50 caps and then thinking about 100. That’s what (international teammate) Warren Feeney had said to me, that was the potential longevity I had.

“So suddenly you start thinking about how many caps you are going to win, rather than just becoming a better player. It distorted everyone’s perception of me – including probably myself.”