Manchester United have confirmed the exit of Ethan Ennis, with the 21-year-old winger signing a three-year deal with Stockport County. Ennis released an emotional statement reflecting on his time at Old Trafford, describing it as an 'honour', and received a barrage of well-wishes from his former team-mates.
Emotional farewell and team-mate reactions
In his statement on Instagram, Ennis said: "After a rollercoaster 5 years the time has come to move on from Manchester United. I’ll always be grateful for the memories, the people and the experiences that have shaped me both on and off the pitch. It’s been an honour to wear the shirt and represent this club."
He added: "I want to say a big thank you to all my coaches, staff and teammates for making my time here so special. It’s something I’ll always cherish and look back on with pride. Thank you for everything @manutd."
Several United academy players responded publicly. Jack Fletcher said: "All the best bro". Tyler Fletcher added: "Good luck my boy." Shea Lacey said: "All the best brother." Dan Gore said: "All the best lad." Jack Moorhouse said: "All the best bro."
Deal details and background
Ennis joined United's youth team five years ago after rejecting a contract with Liverpool. He has previously had loan spells with Doncaster Rovers and Fleetwood Town, gaining experience of League Two football. The Reds have earned a fee for Ennis and included a 50 per cent sell-on clause, along with a buyback option and matching rights clause to protect United if Ennis delivers on his potential.
The academy product steps up to League One, having initially been linked to the club on loan.
Stockport's view
Stockport recruitment director Jonathan Smith said: "Ethan was initially made available to us on a loan basis. So to be able to turn that into a permanent deal feels like a real coup for the club. We’ve had a number of conversations with him and, a few weeks ago, Ethan came to the Preston game with me so he could see first-hand our style, structure and the environment we’re creating here."
