Manchester United Goes Cradle Robbing
The video above is of an Australian named Rhain Davis. Rhain just signed a contract with Manchester United and is being hailed as “the next Wayne Rooney.” Oh by the way, Rhain is nine years old.
While he clearly owes some of his success to thousands of hours both playing and emulating FIFA Street, Rhain’s tech savy grandpa also deserves some of the credit.
Davis came to the attention of United’s scouts after the boy’s grandfather sent them a DVD of him playing for an Under-10s team in Brisbane and, after impressing on trial, he has now joined the club’s academy.
The highlights of the video come at the 0:39 mark when one of his teammates gets face planted without a whistle, and at the 1:30 mark when a different teammate can be seen raising his arms asking for the ball as Rhain nonchalantly dribbles around playing a game of 1 on 11. Oh, also there are about 134 unbelievable moves Rhain makes as he breaks the the ankles of countless nine year-olds. All that skill and he’s young enough to be Freddy Adu’s son.
28 Comments »
on 02 Aug 2007 at 11:58 am #
hmmmm nice stuff
lets see if he makes it
on 02 Aug 2007 at 12:35 pm #
There was no whistle at the 0:39 mark because the referee was, you know, DOING HIS JOB, by playing the advantage.
on 02 Aug 2007 at 12:39 pm #
I hate ManU.
on 02 Aug 2007 at 1:10 pm #
I don’t see why it’s such a big news story. They aren’t putting the kid on the pitch. They signed him up for the program, which means years of training until he’s playing.
on 02 Aug 2007 at 1:57 pm #
Screw him - Its another Tony Almonte story - he is really 15
on 02 Aug 2007 at 2:56 pm #
pass the ball kobe. And ya that was a BIG offsides. Chelsea all the way. Take this ballhog.
on 02 Aug 2007 at 5:08 pm #
I’m not overly impressed.
on 02 Aug 2007 at 6:15 pm #
He’s 9. If, in 7 or 8 years he makes the grade and, as the game of football is a team game, passes it to one of his team mates, he might be worth signing up. Thing is, there are hundreds of kids like this, but many of them become sanitised by the training or burn out like Jermaine Pennant, Rooney etc by the time they’re 23. Also, it may be he looks so good here because the rest of the players are shite.
on 02 Aug 2007 at 6:19 pm #
…also, what’s with the poshest singers in the world singing Man Ure’s theme tune.
What a ball greedy little shit
Manc tossers
YNWA
on 02 Aug 2007 at 7:04 pm #
Wow, mut be a professinal Ref!
on 02 Aug 2007 at 7:12 pm #
He looks pretty good, but his bag of tricks only has room for three! Definite potential though. I think the big story is not that he’s 9, its that as was ‘aquired’ via DVD. Loads of big clubs have young kids playing at the acdemy that are as good as this kiddie. Just look at Arsenal…
on 02 Aug 2007 at 7:42 pm #
Naturally gifted a bit heavy on the right side. His natural ability will be sanitised by over training and ‘technique’ coaching. Then the dreaded bane of all gifted ones GIRLS…..he’ll be a drug crazed boozed induced ‘could have been’ by the time he’s 19!!
on 02 Aug 2007 at 8:43 pm #
Thats Danny Almonte, stick to soccer
on 03 Aug 2007 at 2:03 am #
Once again, people think just because a kid who has peaked before his pears will actually continue to have the same success ten plus years down the road. Just as in Freddy Adu’s case, this will just be another average player when he finally grows up and is no longer ahead of the game.
on 03 Aug 2007 at 4:18 am #
i hope man u teach him how to pass
on 03 Aug 2007 at 4:48 am #
what a skill from 9 years old boy
on 03 Aug 2007 at 11:03 am #
it would be funny if he broke his legs or had to have them amputated
on 03 Aug 2007 at 12:23 pm #
nice soccer skills now i wont have to send the little shit to boarding school.tell your mom ill be over around 6
on 03 Aug 2007 at 1:22 pm #
That’s impressive at that age. I coach kids just a few years younger and I’ll luck of i can get half of them to dribble correctly.
on 03 Aug 2007 at 10:53 pm #
What a little show off why dont you learn how to pass the ball you little shit.
on 06 Aug 2007 at 10:30 am #
He only took three shots in the whole video. All he did was pass. One of the shots came off a perfect pass in which his teamate was face planted. He only got that shot because he continued to follow the play. This kid is talented and obviously very well coached. Good luck Rhain
Rhett Shepherd
USA
on 06 Aug 2007 at 10:36 am #
The first two highlights are of perfect ASSISTS.
on 06 Aug 2007 at 1:09 pm #
I might have been better than that kid. I had the same skills at 6 but allot bigger. I only played for 3 years before my knees gave out on me. I signed at 10 years old for Argentina. If this kid can survive without injury himself he will do fine. Good Luck !!!
on 06 Aug 2007 at 7:47 pm #
all u blokes dat rekon this kid is shit,i bet uz r 20 and he’ll probably make uz look lyk monkey chasin him makin ur eyes go wyld wit his feet,dun hate boyz no need 4 jelousy here
on 08 Aug 2007 at 6:19 am #
hI!
Nice to hear about this boy. Can’t wait to see him do it for man U like C. Ronaldo and Rhonney. Keep the good job staff of the Tech.
I love ya.
on 08 Aug 2007 at 6:21 am #
I can see my team doing it again this year especially after such fantastic signings like Anderson, Nane, Hardgreaves and Tevez. Come and see real fire works enemies of the REDS.
jon on 10 Sep 2007 at 7:15 pm #
Man united are bastards
ANDY on 30 Sep 2007 at 5:59 pm #
I no a boy in nottingham who is 10..pLAYing sunday div 2 u10s…..name of boy is SHAY WHITE….is dads name is nathan white who can p.football…..SHAY CAN DO AND HE CAN PLAY….CULB OR COMEING TO SEE SHAY PLAY BUT DAD SAY NO TO CLUBS TO YOUNG NOW