Ethan Hamilton

Ethan Hamilton was born on October 18, 1998 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a swimmer as well as a basketball player when he was young. Manchester United, which followed him since he was young, used to send him boots as part of a sponsorship deal long before he officially joined them. However, he often told team-mates that his grandfather gave them to him. During this time, he also rejected an offer from Sky TV to be a part of a documentary. After signing with Manchester United, he moved to Old Trafford with his mother.

Ethan Hamilton's club career started at the local boys club, Hutchinson Vale Community Football Club, where he trained under Tam Smith since he was five. His youth career has been strikingly different from most other youngsters seeking to pursue professional football as a career. While most of his peers joined pro-youth teams at the first opportunity, he was determined to finish school first and go to an academy in England. He declined several offers from SPL clubs like Celtic and Aberdeen. He also told the SFA that he wanted to focus on studies instead of representing the country. However, it all turned out well for him in the end as he followed in the footsteps of fellow Hutchinson Vale alumni Darren Fletcher to Manchester United.

His skills with the ball were initially noticed by Man U scout John Thorburn back in 2010. The club kept him on their list ever since and over the next few years, invited him to train with the team during his school holidays. It became more frequent in later years, when he started spending weeks at a stretch with the club. He finally signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Manchester United in October 2014, after he turned 16.

He began training at the Aon Training Complex where he quickly impressed the coaching staff with his powerful running ability in the midfield. Paul McGuinness, the manager of Manchester United's under-18 team, gave him a number of opportunities during the 2014-15 season, including six matches as starter. He made his debut for the under-18 squad as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers in November 2014, and in January 2015, scored his first goal at under-18 level in the 5-2 victory over Manchester City. He went on to captain the under-18 team during the 2016-17 season. However, he gained extensive media coverage in March 2018 after he was called up to the Manchester United's first-team to replace ill Paul Pogba, in FA Cup match against Huddersfield.