Gai Assulin, once one of the most talked-about wonderkids of the mid-2000s, is now coaching youth players at Manchester United, according to a recent update to his LinkedIn profile. The former Barcelona and Manchester City player, now 35, lists his new role as academy coach at the Premier League club, alongside a photo of him at the club in a fully-branded tracksuit.
From Barcelona prodigy to City signing
Assulin, born in Israel, started his career in the youth ranks of Hapoel Haifa and Beitar Nes Tubruk before joining Barcelona at age 12. He graduated from the same youth academy as Lionel Messi and rose through the ranks alongside Thiago Alcantara and Jonathan dos Santos. After progressing to the Barcelona B team, he signed a new contract with a £20m buy-out clause.
He left Barcelona shortly before Pep Guardiola could make him a first-team regular and signed for Manchester City, partly to play alongside his friend Yaya Toure. However, he never played a competitive game for City and was released two years later after a seven-game loan spell at Brighton, alongside Owen Hargreaves.
Fallout with Luis Enrique
Assulin's departure from Barcelona came after a falling out with then-B team boss Luis Enrique, who had taken over from Guardiola. Assulin said at the time: "I didn't receive much playing time from Enrique. He wasn't too interested in me playing for him. He didn't trust me and didn't give me credit, and this really hampered my self-confidence. When he finally let me play, it was in unimportant games."
He added: "I don't know whether his motivation was personal or professional. It seems to me that it was a combination of the two. In the few opportunities I did receive, I couldn't do much to prove that I was worthy. If I didn't take advantage of the few opportunities I did receive, then he would take me off the pitch. He had no patience for me and he barely spoke with me."
Journeyman career and new role
Assulin spent the rest of his career mainly in Spain, playing two seasons of 25 or more games at Racing Santander and Mallorca, with a spell at Granada in between where he did not play at all. He went back to Israel in 2014, playing six games for Hapoel Tel Aviv, before returning to Spain's third tier at Sabadell, after a failed trial with Scottish club Rangers.
His career ended with spells at FC Kairat in Kazakhstan and Politehnica Iasi in Romania, before spending his final professional year at Serie D club Crema in Italy. He made one appearance for the Israel national side in 2008.
Of his current work, Assulin said: "As a former professional footballer with experience at top clubs in Europe, I bring a deep understanding of the game both on and off the pitch. Having navigated the highs and challenges of professional sports, I now dedicate my expertise to coaching, mentoring, and developing the next generation of football talent."
