“For him to come out and say that meant a lot," says Maxi Oyedele, just days after former teammate Bruno Fernandes described him as humble, hard-working and technically brilliant. "To be honest, it's an unbelievable thing for a player like that to even mention me."
Like many others, Fernandes was surprised by Manchester United's decision to let the newly-capped Poland international leave in the summer.
Those feelings certainly came across on October 12, when the Portuguese midfielder was asked to clarify some comments made by Legia Warsaw manager Goncalo Feio, who said Fernandes was "shocked" by the teenager's departure in August. His answer spoke volumes.
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"I think Maxi is a really good player," Fernandes told Polish TV channel TVP SPORT after coming up against Oyedele in the Nations League. “He was always one of the players that everyone at the club thought would go from the academy into the first-team."
To receive such a public show of support from the captain of Manchester United – a player he looked up to while coming through the academy ranks – was "really big" for Oyedele. And that reaction will resonate more when you understand the full extent of his journey.
Eight months ago, on a cold afternoon in Crawley, Oyedele experienced the lowest point of his career during a loan spell at then-League Two side Forest Green. Even now, the moment brings a grimace to his face.
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"It was terrible," Oyedele tells SPORTbible from his new surroundings in Warsaw; Poland’s capital city. "You feel embarrassed. You think to yourself, 'What's going on? What am I not doing right?’ I felt numb. I’ve never had that feeling before.”
On the afternoon of February 17, 2024 – exactly one month after joining Forest Green – Salford-born midfielder Maxi Oyedele was named on the bench for the club’s trip to Crawley Town, who were looking for their first win in five.
Forest Green were second-bottom of League Two at the time and, after a tricky start to proceedings, things were looking bleak when they conceded just before half-time. Manager Steve Cotterill decided to bring on United's academy product at the break for some inspiration.
"I remember the game wasn't going the way we completely wanted it to," he recalls. "I got told I would be playing on the right wing, a position that, in all honesty, I'm not comfortable in. I'm a midfielder – a six or an eight. But I just wanted to get on and do what I could."
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Forest Green continued to try and make a breakthrough, with Crawley goalkeeper Corey Addai making a handful of decent saves to keep the scoreline at 1-0. In fact, Oyedele was close to equalising for the visitors.
But soon came one of the most difficult situations a footballer has to deal with – a substitute being substituted. Oyedele's number 22 flashed up on the electronic substitution board. His stomach was in knots.
“The manager wasn't happy with what I was doing and decided to bring me off," he remembers. "There's nothing lower than getting brought on and then bought off. I remember coming out and speaking to my agent, Carlos, and my head was all over the place but he just said, ‘Keep your head up. This experience will make you stronger.’ I was in Swindon at the time and had no one to be around."
Cotterill didn't hold back in his post-match assessment. "He has to do a lot more to get in the starting line-up," the Forest Green manager said. "I didn’t feel there was enough productivity from him in the second half."
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Two weeks later, Oyedele returned to Carrington after it was mutually agreed that it would be more beneficial for him to play at under-21 level and train regularly with the first-team.
"Basically, the coach said he didn't want to keep me around if I was going to be unhappy. He knew I needed to be playing regular minutes," Oyedele says. “My mindset was clear. I needed to be back at United so I could be ready for the next step. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to cope mentally without minutes."
To be back at Carrington – just six weeks after leaving for League Two football – was tough. In his own words, it was at a really difficult time in his life.
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“When I returned to United, it did feel a bit embarrassing," Oyedele admits. "It was a six-month loan that was cut short so early. I had a conversation with my academy coach and he said I had a lot to work on. I knew that. Whatever they said, I had to take on board because no matter what had gone on, I'd been sent back from a loan spell.
“There was no positive from that, or at least I didn’t think so at the time. I had to put my head down and work hard. show up and get back to work.”
And show up he did. In the coming months Oyedele worked harder than ever to prove himself, which impressed onlookers. He was called up to train with the first-team on April 14 alongside fellow graduates Harry Amass, Ethan Wheatley and Habeeb Ogunneye.
A chat with Erik ten Hag helped settle the nerves. "Before my first training session back with the first-team. Erik pulled me to one side and said, 'Listen, I know your ability. You know your ability. You need to move past it.' He was trying to lift my confidence and it was really helpful but at this point, I couldn't legally play."
He continues: "There were a lot of injuries within the squad at the time and I remember thinking, 'What if I could be playing. I could be making appearances here for the club I've always wanted to.' That was hard.”
Seven days later, Manchester United secured their place in the FA Cup final following a dramatic win over Coventry City. Ten Hag's men looked in complete control at 3-0 up but the Championship side scored three times in the final 20 minutes to force extra time and penalties.
A smile is etched across Oyedele's face as he remembers that day at Wembley. Bruno Fernandes, the man who has backed him on several occasions this year, came over to speak to Maxi. It was a conversation that still means a lot to the 20-year-old.
“After the Coventry game, Bruno asked why I couldn't play," says Oyedele. "He said, 'Can you not be involved in the squad?'.
"He knew about the Forest Green situation but didn't realise I wouldn't be able to play. He said I could have made an impact. I heard that and thought, 'Wow'. I didn't feel like I was much, so for him to speak to me... It was amazing. I really appreciated that.
"You have to keep looking forward but it's one of those 'what if' moments. To be honest, that was the closest I felt to making my debut. There were a lot of injuries at the time and not a lot of midfielders. That could have changed everything. You never know what could have happened. When Bruno said that, I pictured it happening in my head."
It took a while to get back to a level he was happy with, but Oyedele genuinely feels like he could have made his United debut around that period.
“A lot of young players were getting put on the bench, and I felt like I could have had an impact. I was seeing what was going on and thinking, 'Oh my days. I could have had a chance here’, but the situation was what it was. The registration window was closed and I was technically still a Forest Green player.
“I had to keep doing what I'd been doing before, which was playing in the academy and training with the first-team when the opportunity presented itself. I was just taking everything in like a sponge."
When pre-season rolled around in July, Oyedele was determined to make an impression. "My thought process was, 'Alright, we don't know what's going to happen in terms of the future, so just go out there in pre-season and give it everything you've got, because you don't know what's going to happen.' That's what I felt like I did.”
After featuring in games against Rosenborg and Rangers, the midfielder was included in Erik ten Hag's 29-man squad for their tour of the United States. He clearly impressed the Dutch manager and his staff.
Just four months earlier, Oyedele was going through the toughest period of his life after being subbed off against Crawley. Now, he was facing Arsenal and Liverpool in front of more than 60,000 people.
"I was extremely focused during that time in Los Angeles," he recalls. "Every session. Every game. I was nothing but focused. Finally, I was where I wanted to be, with the first team in that environment. I’d wanted this for a very long time. I felt like it was my chance to show what I could do at this level and that was it."
At the time, Oyedele says there wasn't much conversation with Ten Hag.
"He’s got a lot to think about," he shrugs. "And it’s not like I was... realistically, I didn't feel like I was the next prospect at the club – no matter what was being said. I was sort of thinking, 'I'm just going to give it my all and whatever happens, happens.”
Two weeks after a 20-minute cameo against Liverpool, Oyedele was saying his goodbyes at Carrington; a place he knew like the back of his hand. It was a strange feeling, to say the least.
“I remember coming in and my teammates couldn't believe I was going. They were like, 'What do you mean?' I'd been there for so long. I went on trial at the age of six. I’d been there all my life and it was the only club I’d known. It was weird knowing that I wouldn't be back to train in the morning.
"I can't even describe that feeling and it happened a few months ago. You just feel different. I remember getting on that plane to Poland and thinking, ‘I've left that life now.’ It was emotional. It was tough, but I was also looking ahead.”
Did anybody at United sit down with Oyedele and explain why they decided to let him leave? “No. There were never any talks regarding me leaving," he says. "I don't know how it seems on the outside… I had a good pre-season, but I can tell you I was not the next 'up'.
"It's not like the club didn't doubt that I had the talent or whatever, I just think they had a different project in mind, and I wasn't part of it. To be honest, I didn't expect anything to be said by anybody. I just didn't feel that important to the club.”
Somebody who did make an effort on his last day was another academy graduate. First-team coach Darren Fletcher made a beeline for Maxi, who had agreed to join Polish side Legia Warsaw for a six-figure sum.
“On my last day, when I was going back to my car, I did speak to Darren Fletcher. He said to me, 'It's unfortunate to see you go. But I know this next step is going to be really good for you. I want you to just take it with both hands. I know you're going to be a top player and play at the highest level — just use this platform that you're going to have to get to that point.' He also said he would watch out for me. I appreciated that.
“But in terms of a conversation about why, there was none of that. Obviously, there were a lot of new first-team staff at the time and a lot of changes at the club. It was all a bit new. I was just there to work hard and train. And that was it.”
Like on numerous occasions throughout our chat, the name Bruno Fernandes has cropped up again. Last month, the Portuguese midfielder said he was "shocked" that United decided to let Oyedele go after he impressed in pre-season.
Was he in the same boat? “I wouldn't say I was surprised because I had a gut feeling about what they wanted to do," Oyedele says. "In my head, I felt like it wasn’t going to work out after the Forest Green loan. It wasn’t a good look, so I didn't feel like they would be eager to keep me after that.
“When I came back, it's not like I was showing myself with the first-team or getting nearer to a first-team appearance, because I couldn't play. I felt like I had a decent pre-season with the first team. And then I was sort of thinking… I don't know… It was probably up in the air in regard to what they were going to do.
"To me it felt like they might keep me if they liked what I had done, and if they have a different project, then that was okay. I was at peace with both decisions at that point because I felt like I'd done what I could in pre-season. It put me in a good position to leave or to stay and progress.
"After pre-season, all the players came back from the Euros and the feeling did change because everyone was back. I was still an academy player. I didn't class myself as a first-team player at that point. So when I was told that I wasn’t going to be with the first team, then I sort of knew.”
In regards to Erik ten Hag, who was relieved of his duties in October following a poor start to the campaign, Oyedele is clearly thankful for the opportunity to train and play with the first-team this year.
“I'm not going to sit here and act like we spoke a lot," he says about Ten Hag. "There weren't a lot of personal interactions with him. He was very friendly with people around the place. I don't have a bad word to say about him. I mean, I don't think I was close enough to have them sort of opinions on first-team staff.”
Oyedele goes on: "A lot is going on at the club. I don't think people realise how much is going on. I can imagine for the players it must be difficult. I never felt that pressure from the fans and the team because I wasn't really a part of that but expectations are so high. And I understand it. I understand that's never going to change.”
More than two months after leaving Old Trafford and that connection with the club is still very fresh. “I still watch every United game,” he adds. “They did so much for me.”
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To say the last month has been a whirlwind would be an understatement. On his arrival at Legia, the club's sporting director Jacek Zielinski said Oyedele had "incredible potential" but warned of "competition" in midfield areas. He soon found that out, spending the first month of his time in Warsaw on the bench.
"I remember looking over at the fans and thinking, 'Oh my goodness. I cannot wait to play in front of these people.' That's all I was thinking," he laughs. "There were flares going off, the fans were so loud. I've never seen anything like it, honestly. The supporters here are unbelievable.”
Then, after being handed his debut at the end of September in a 1-0 defeat to Pogoń Szczecin, the teenager earned a well-deserved start in their league match with Gornik Zabrze on September 28. Two days later, as he was shopping in Poland's capital, a core memory was formed.
“I was at the mall," Oyedele recalls. "I was buying something unimportant. I opened Instagram and the first thing that popped up on my feed was the Poland squad list. I saw my name and I started screaming. Everybody must have been like, 'Why is this guy screaming?'.
"I started calling everybody but nobody was picking up. Both of my parents and my agent didn't answer. And then I called my friends. Kobbie [Mainoo] and Hannibal. Both of them said, 'No way!'"
Oyedele has kept in touch with a number of his former United teammates, including winger Shola Shoretire, who is currently playing for Greek Super League side PAOK, and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.
"With all three of us leaving and being in contact, it's like we're all going through the same journey in a way," he smiles. "Leaving the club is a big thing. And going onto that next step, which involves trying to play week in, week out, and just trying to hit those goals that we have as young players."
On the pitch, Oyedele recently enjoyed a midfield battle against Bruno Fernandes as Portugal came out 3-1 winners against Michal Probierz's Poland – a game he describes as the toughest game he's ever played in.
To represent the country of his mother, who was understandably emotional in August when Maxi left his family home in Salford, is a great honour.
"It means a lot to play for Poland. To be able to come up through the youth teams and get my first cap, and start in my first game... I can't put it into words. Everything has happened so fast. I'll be forever grateful to the manager for giving me that opportunity.”
He's right. Everything has happened so fast. The 20-year-old has gone from playing League Two football with Forest Green to playing against Cristiano Ronaldo on the international stage in just eight months.
“It’s something I don't think about much but when I do, it is crazy to think that I've gone from having an unsuccessful loan at a League Two club to making my debut for Poland and playing in the Europa Conference League with Legia," says Oyedele. "A few months ago, I was in the academy getting ready for an under-21 game. The switch is humongous.
"I can't ponder on it too much, because my goals are high. I have to be thinking ahead. My focus now is the team and trying to win the league and do well in Europe. These are the things I'm thinking about now. But yeah, when I step back briefly, like right now, it is crazy.
"When you've had the same life for so long, you can never imagine something like this happening. I never did anyway. I'm so grateful for what's happened so far and how the club have treated me since I arrived. And I've only just started."
At the end of our lengthy chat, Oyedele is once again reflecting on his six-week loan spell at Forest Green. At the time, it was a real low point in his career – a stain that might have impacted his Manchester United career, as he previously pointed out.
But with hindsight, it played an integral role in his journey.
“I've never said this out loud before but for me, the Forest Green experience was the best possible thing to happen," Oyedele says. "Going through that at such a young age, and with it going that poorly. It doesn't get worse than that. I was at my lowest point. But now, I know how it feels when things don't go right. It's the complete opposite of what's happening now."
After a brief pause, he continues: “Some players don't go through tough moments, and that's not always a good thing because when it does come, how are you going to deal with that? I went through it, and it's helped me in the long term, both as a player and as a person.”
Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Bruno Fernandes, Poland, UEFA Nations League, Spotlight
Jack Kenmare