Rhys Macbride first remembers watching England at Euro 2012, with his first kit being the red England away strip from the 2010 World Cup. Growing up, he loved watching Messi, Agüero and Yaya Touré, players who inspired his creativity and style on the ball.

He began his journey with Urmston Meadowside before spending time with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool between the ages of five and seven.

At eight years old he signed his first academy contract with Bury, where he stayed until the club folded, later moving to Accrington Stanley for a season. Rhys joined Oldham Athletic at under-13s and has been part of the academy ever since.

A creative midfielder who enjoys playing with freedom, Rhys takes pride in his passing and vision, always looking to pick out passes others might not see, as well as testing himself with long-range efforts. From his academy experiences he has learned the value of building a strong team environment and a shared hunger to win.