The junior football star who spurned Manchester United to chase Rugby League dream

Running out onto Old Trafford as a Manchester United player is the dream for millions of kids around the world, but not for British teenager Herbie Farnworth who sensationally spurned the Red Devils so he could play Rugby League in the NRL.

Herbie Farnworth

Source: AAP

The former boom United rookie was a part of the club's talented junior academy program and was once the centre of a bidding war between the Red Devils and fierce cross town rivals Manchester City.

Blessed with incredible athleticism from an early age, Farnworth's abilities caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs.

The Lancashire product's true love was never football, and despite his raw talents with the round ball, as Rugby League ran deep in his family.

"I was with Burnley to start with and then I signed with Manchester United. I signed there for two years as a young fella of 10 and 11 and I’d go to camps and train with them,” Farnworth said.

"I was either a centre-midfielder or left wing. Then I had a talks with Manchester City but I wanted to focus on my rugby league."

At the age of 14 Farnworth and his family moved to the Gold Coast so he could chase his NRL dream.

He was identified by talent scouts from NRL powerhouse the Brisbane Broncos and was a star in the club's Under-20's side.

Last week, nearly nine years on from when he turned down United, Farnworth's aspirations of an NRL career edged closer when he played for the Broncos senior team in a club trial against Wynnum-Manly. 

Farnworth is signed to the Broncos on a rookie deal until the end of 2020 and is driven to force his way into the starting side. 

Last season he scored four tries in nine matches for Broncos feeder team Norths Devils and names Broncos captain Darius Boyd as a mentor.

While Rugby League may not lead to the same fame and fortune as the life of a Premier League star, Farnworth doesn't regret his move in the slightest.

"I'm loving every minute of it," he said.

“It is a chance of a lifetime to be at a club like the Broncos.

"It is the biggest club in Australia, even the world."


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2 min read
Published 25 February 2019 8:02pm
By SBS The World Game
Source: SBS

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