Former Manchester United midfielder James Weir has retired from professional football at the age of 28 after a career plagued by injuries. Weir, who made his Premier League debut as a late substitute under Louis van Gaal on the same day as Marcus Rashford in February 2016, described the experience as an out-of-body moment. He said he would not change that minute for anything.
Weir's career took him to Hungary's MTK Budapest and later to Slovakia, where he played for Pohronie and Zlate Moravce. He enjoyed the community spirit of Slovakian football, where matches against village teams often turned into local celebrations with goulash and beer. Injuries eventually took their toll: after numerous operations on his left side, his body tilted and he struggled to pass the ball.
Weir has now become an independent travel agent, having started a part-time degree in sport, business management and account policy at Manchester Metropolitan University. He considered a police career but opted for travel, noting he could still play football at a lower level but not professionally day in, day out.
Reflecting on his time at United, Weir recalled organising a trip to Aintree with the reserves. Phil Jones paid for the box but could not attend, so the reserve team enjoyed the day without him. Weir also captained United's Under-21s to a title before being sold to Hull City in 2016. Injuries limited his chances there and at Bolton, leading him to terminate his contract and move abroad.
