Edinburgh kid Ethan Hamilton explains Manchester United exit after joining Peterborough

Young, grounded Scot isn’t swayed by trappings of success
Ethan Hamilton enjoyed five years at Manchester United.Ethan Hamilton enjoyed five years at Manchester United.
Ethan Hamilton enjoyed five years at Manchester United.

Drive along the single-track road into the Aon Training Complex and you soon enter a car park full of Porsches, Maseratis and Bentleys. For a young aspiring footballer from Edinburgh, it would seem like the holy grail.

Five years at Manchester United ended for Ethan Hamilton this summer when his contract expired. He left without a shred of ostentatiousness or arrogance, sensibly looking for a new club to suit his energetic and technical playing style. He chose Peterborough United.

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Not only does his humble and grounded outlook mean he is excited swapping plush Premier League surroundings for England’s League One, but the 21-year-old brings with him some unique experience from his time in Manchester.

You can’t fail to learn training beside international luminaries like Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford. That knowledge and insight matters far more to Hamilton – and will be more useful to his career – than monetary accessories.

He is better known in England than his native Scotland having left Edinburgh’s Hutchison Vale Boys Club for Manchester United shortly before his 16th birthday. A Scotland internationalist at under-15, under-16 and under-19 level, he now makes a fresh start in Peterborough.

Darren Ferguson is his new manager and the young midfielder knows exactly what he wants to achieve under Sir Alex’s son. Loan spells at Rochdale, Southend United and Bolton Wanderers gave him a strong flavour of League One. He came to Peterborough’s attention there and even scored against them once.

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“After those loan spells I knew my contract was coming to an end at Manchester United. I was thinking about my next step but I see Peterborough as a great opportunity,” said Hamilton, speaking exclusively to the Evening News.

“I’d played against them in League One and once I knew they were interested I was excited. From speaking to the manager and Robbo [Mark Robson, assistant manager], I know they play the type of football I want to play.

“I had already made my mind up about the club but talking to them gave me more motivation. My loans have all been in League One so it made sense to come here and try to develop at this level.”

With no brash or bolshy attitude, you could easily be talking to Darren Fletcher. Not the BT Sport commentator but the Edinburgh footballer who blazed a trail for Hamilton from Hutchie Vale to Old Trafford.

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If he hasn’t yet been able to emulate his predecessor, it certainly doesn’t faze young Hamilton. “I try to have a positive outlook on it,” he explained. “I’ve been out on different loans so it’s nice to get a permanent club, get settled and focus on my football. I want to try to improve as a player and help Peterborough be successful.

“The youth coaches at United helped me a lot. Guys like Ricky Sbragia, Warren Joyce, Paul McGuinness – I could list so many influences. You try to take little bits from everyone at a club like that and hopefully that’s what I’ve done.

“I got opportunities to go over and train with the first team from time to time so it was great experience. They are all talented players and it’s great seeing how they operate each day. Obviously they are at the top of the game.

"You look at what they do and try to apply it to how you train and play. The loans were a great learning curve and a great stage for me as well. I’m lucky to have been at a club like that.”

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Most of his footballing upbringing took place in Manchester. He used to travel south from the Capital to train during school holidays before signing professionally.

Hamilton is what you might call a traditional box-to-box central midfielder. Peterborough fans will see him involved defensively and in attack with his athletic frame and impressive engine. Such dynamism will be useful in the third tier of English football.

Might it one day lead to a full Scotland cap? “My focus is on helping Peterborough and, in future, to get an opportunity like that would be amazing. I just have to develop from day to day and game to game. That’s my aim at the minute,” said Hamilton.

“I tried to be disciplined and keep myself fit during lockdown so hopefully that stands me in good stead this season. I was back home and it was nice getting to see family, even with the restrictions. I’ve been settled in Manchester for so long so I enjoyed being back in Edinburgh.”

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Home is now a different borough. Sir Alex Ferguson was managing Manchester United when Hamilton started those visits as a schoolboy. The player’s ongoing development rests in the hands of Ferguson Jnr.

The midfielder’s mature approach means he will have no problem taking responsibility himself at the same time.

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