Manchester United are undoubtedly a club famed for their production of young talent, with the Red Devils having repeatedly promoted players from the academy ranks into the first-team, from the Busby Babes to the 'Class of 92', right through to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo.

For every success story, however, there is a notable figure who simply falls by the wayside - for every Paul Scholes there is a Ravel Morrison. For every Ryan Giggs, there is a Callum Gribbin.

In the case of the latter man, the Englishman is a prime example of the perils of hyping up players too young, as well as a warning as to the brutal nature of the game, with once-promising figures able to be so ruthlessly cast aside after years on the books at a club.

What happened to Callum Gribbin?

Gribbin's tale is arguably one of wasted potential but also likely one of frustration - both for the player himself and for United - with the emerging gem having never been able to truly live up to his early, outstanding promise.

The Salford native - who would ultimately spend 11 years at Old Trafford after joining in 2008 - had been setting tongues wagging among supporters in the know for years as a result of his displays at youth level, having even been hailed as the "English [Lionel] Messi" due to his precocious talent, as The Athletic's Daniel Taylor revealed.

Lauded as a "fantastic technician" by former assistant coach Kieran McKenna, the playmaker was notably included in the Guardian's Next Generation list in 2015 alongside the 20 best talents in the Premier League, with that selection including current Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as ex-Tottenham Hotspur sensation, Marcus Edwards.

That wider acclaim was mirrored by the glowing reports coming out of United, with youth coach Paul McGuiness stating at the time: "Callum's a very talented player and the type English football does not have a lot of. He can keep the ball with people around him. He can manipulate it and give space for a creative pass. Also, he's waiting to look for a creative pass all the time too."

The forward's quality unsurprisingly sparked comparisons to club legend Giggs, with that likeness having become even more apparent following the youngster's stunning, solo goal against Barcelona in the Otten Cup back in 2016.

An "unreal talent" - in the words of fellow academy graduate Charlie Scott - Gribbin appeared destined to eventually force his way into the first-team picture, having possessed that innate gift to be able to "glide past players with the ball tied to his feet", according to club historian, Tony Park.

Despite enjoying a "light-bulb moment" - in the words of Nicky Butt - after producing an all-action display against Wolfsburg in the UEFA Youth League in 2015, the 5 foot 10 ace was never able to make that step up, with injury also playing its part in curtailing his progress.

Having been unable to ever make his senior bow, the former England U17 international was ultimately released in 2019, going on to endure a brief stint at Sheffield United, before joining League Two side Barrow in 2020.

That switch again failed to have the desired impact as Gribbin only made five appearances for the club, having subsequently been snapped up by lower-league side Radcliffe with the aim of kickstarting his career.

Now 24, the former wonderkid is currently on the books at seventh-tier outfit, FC United of Manchester, with that slide down the footballing pyramid representing a sad decline for a player who once promised so much.

With time still on his side, however, hopefully Gribbin can get back to where he belongs sooner rather than later.