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New Man Utd boss once played for and saved 12th tier English club from extinction

New Man Utd interim boss Ralf Rangnick once played for and saved a 12th tier English club from possible extinction a while back.

It was announced on the 29th of November 2021 that the 63 year old German manager would be in charge of the Red Devils, replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He is known for his hard, tactical approach to football, however he showed his softer side in the heat of the pandemic last year.

The Old Trafford faithful will now hope that the appointment of Rangnick will go on to spark some life back into a United side that have been rather lacklustre this season in the Premier League.

While it’s a big rescue mission for him, it’s the not the first time he’s got a club out of trouble, as last year, he donated £1,000 to Southwick, a non league club just five miles from Brighton, and one that he played for when he was 21 whilst living in England.

The money was donated in a bid to help save the Mid-Sussex League Championship outfit after they announced that they were made homeless during pandemic and at risk of going under.

Mirror Football spoke to John Baine, a media officer at the club, who was left feeling appreciative after the donation was made by the former RB Leipzig boss.

Baine in fact emailed Rangnick to let him known of the fundraising he was undertaking after being reminded by a friend of how the now-United boss made 11 appearances for Southwick, nicknamed the Wickers, during his one year of studies at the University of Sussex.

“A mate of mine said to me ‘Well, Ralf Rangnick used to play for Southwick, why don’t you email and see if he’ll remember us and see if he’ll support?’” Baine explained.

“I said: ‘We’ve had to reform the club, the grounds been closed, we’re currently playing in the local park and we’re looking to regenerate the club that has existed since 1882 and he came up with a donation just like that.

“His assistant sent a lovely email back saying: ‘Of course Ralf remembers his time at Southwick, he wishes you all the best and here is a £1000 donation.’

“It shows that the guy obviously has a good heart and a love and understanding of grassroots football.”

The money hugely benefitted Southwick not just by helping them in being able to continue playing again but to stay at their local recreational ground and paying referees having been dropped two divisions after the council were handed back their lease for their stadium.

Rangnick even wrote a touching note on the club’s JustGiving page: “Dear Wickers supporters, having played for the Wickers in 1980, it was a great experience for me as a young student and as a player. This is why I would love to support your campaign and very much hope that the club can return to the Old Barn Way ground in due course. Up the Wickers! Ralf”.

Southwick are now ground-sharing with local side Whitehawk after their promotion for the 2020/21 season, finishing the campaign with a 100% record thanks to the loyalty of their players who chose instead to stay loyal and not jump ship despite the club’s monetary woes inflicted by the pandemic.

Speaking to the Guardian in 2011, Rangnick recalled his days at Southwick fondly. “There was hardly a situation where we didn’t spur each other on, doing some coaching among ourselves or motivating each other. That was totally inspirational for me and certainly moulded me.”

One of his team-mates Gary Brown recalled his experiences playing with Rangnick, while speaking to the Guardian. “You couldn’t wish for an easier bloke to work with, as a manager. He was always interested in what you wanted.”

Fast forward to today and he’s now manager of Manchester United.

Their club statement read: Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of the season, subject to work visa requirements.

Following this period, Ralf and the club have agreed that he will continue in a consultancy role for a further two years.

John Murtough, Manchester United football director, said: “Ralf is one of the most respected coaches and innovators in European football. He was our number one candidate for interim manager, reflecting the invaluable leadership and technical skills he will bring from almost four decades of experience in management and coaching.

“Everyone at the club is looking forward to working with him during the season ahead, and then for a further two years in his advisory role.”

Ralf Rangnick said: “I am excited to be joining Manchester United and focused on making this a successful season for the club.

“The squad is full of talent and has a great balance of youth and experience. All my efforts for the next six months will be on helping these players fulfil their potential, both individually and, most importantly, as a team.

“Beyond that, I look forward to supporting the club’s longer-term goals on a consultancy basis.”

Twitter users reacted after seeing that the new Man Utd boss once played for and saved the 12th tier English club from extinction…

@sebparkinson: I hope you have a historic sell-on clause in his contract.

@TaylorMonk91: That’s one for the Christmas quiz at work.

@Dazzer0306: Great stuff. My Dad (Stan Brown) was captain of that Southwick side. Dad played 400 odd games for Fulham before playing non league football. Dad is next to Rangnick in the photo.

@tonymgc: Sussex senior cup winner, he’ll never sing that

@Ragweed11852522: So he’s got the experience

@machine_08: Always love this bit of knowledge!

@TweetingSeagull: I wouldn’t count out Ole ending up at Southwick in a few years.

@sasta68: Some good loan signings could be on their way to @SFC_TheWickers

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