A former Liverpool defender and England U-21 international has made the daring move to seventh-tier FC United of Manchester, just five years after his career was derailed when he was stabbed
10:47, 11 Jul 2025
Andre Wisdom
Andre Wisdom scored on his Liverpool debut(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom has signed for seventh-tier FC United of Manchester.
The 32-year-old came through the youth ranks at Liverpool before making his first-team debut under Brendan Rodgers in 2012, scoring against Young Boys in the Europa League. Capped 37 times by various England youth teams, Wisdom looked to be Liverpool’s long-term answer at right-back.
However, his time at Anfield never kicked on as he was sent out on loan spells to Derby, then West Brom and Norwich, where he made 34 appearances in the Premier League, and Red Bull Salzburg, before he joined Derby permanently in 2017.
Wisdom’s career and life took on a very different path as he later joined non-league Warrington Town and Irish top-flight side Derry City after he was stabbed in 2020, derailing his career.
And the defender is on the move again, as Northern Premier League side FC United of Manchester announced his signing, with him set to make his debut in Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Rochdale.
Andre Wisdom
Andre Wisdom played 22 times for Liverpool(Image: PA)
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Despite his Liverpool links, Wisdom joins the club founded in 2005 by disgruntled Manchester United fans opposing the takeover of the club by American businessman Malcolm Glazer.
But supporters welcomed him to the club ahead of what is turning out to be a competitive squad full of ambition for the new season. Mark Beesley’s side recently announced that fellow former Premier League ace, Adam Le Fondre, has extended his stay at Broadhurst Park.
Wisdom played 22 times for Liverpool before he left to forge his career elsewhere, but in 2020, he was left fighting for more than his playing days when he was stabbed following a house party in Merseyside in 2020.
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Playing for Derby at the time, Wisdom was on his way home from a house party when he was attacked by a group of masked men and stabbed.
He previously told The Athletic: “I shouldn’t have been there. First of all, because it was lockdown and no one should have been having parties, but second because I grew up seeing those types of incidents happen... You don’t need to go to parties like that, where not everyone is going to be your friend."
Wisdom revealed he tried to fight back while "desperately trying to avoid getting stabbed even worse than I did," but he was stabbed multiple times in the buttocks, left leg, chest and head.
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Amazingly, Wisdom drove home, where he realised the extent of his injuries. He added: "I checked my thigh and the muscle was almost hanging out of the wound. And I made a rookie mistake because I tried to push the muscle back in. That’s when I started to go dizzy."
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Wisdom battled back to fitness after he went under the knife, but a handful of games after returning to Derby he pulled his groin, before he left the financially stricken club in 2021.
It would be nearly three years before Wisdom would play competitively again – in the sixth-tier for Warrington Town.