Former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom has signed for seventh-tier FC United of Manchester, five years on from a stabbing incident that put his career on hold
Andre Wisdom of Liverpool during the Pre Season Friendly match between Preston North End and Liverpool
Former Liverpool starlet Andre Wisdom has a new club
(Image: Getty Images)
Former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom has inked a deal with seventh-tier club FC United of Manchester. The 32-year-old, who rose through the ranks on Merseyside and made his first-team debut under Brendan Rodgers in 2012, scoring against Young Boys in the Europa League, has joined the Northern Premier League side.
Once seen as the Reds' future right-back after being capped 37 times by various England youth teams, Wisdom's career trajectory took a different turn.
His time at Anfield didn't progress as expected, leading to loan spells at Derby, West Brom, Norwich, where he made 34 Premier League appearances, and Red Bull Salzburg, before he permanently moved to Derby in 2017.
Wisdom's life and career took another unexpected turn when he was stabbed in 2020, disrupting his career and leading him to sign for non-league Warrington Town and later Irish top-flight team Derry City.
Now, he's on the move again, with FC United of Manchester announcing his signing. He is set to make his debut in Saturday's pre-season friendly against Rochdale, reports the Daily Star.
Despite his Liverpool roots, Wisdom joins a club founded in 2005 by disgruntled Manchester United fans protesting American businessman Malcolm Glazer's takeover of their club. However, fans have welcomed him ahead of what promises to be a competitive season full of ambition.
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Wisdom, who made 22 appearances for Liverpool, faced a life-threatening situation in 2020 when he was stabbed after attending a house party in Merseyside.
A Derby player at the time, Wisdom was assaulted by a group of masked assailants and stabbed as he made his way home from the gathering.
In an interview with The Athletic, he reflected: "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."
Andre Wisdom of Derby County during the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Derby County
Wisdom left Anfield in 2017(Image: Getty Images)
Despite being stabbed multiple times in various parts of his body, including his buttocks, left leg, chest, and head, Wisdom managed to drive himself home, only then realising the severity of his injuries.
He recounted: "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."
After undergoing surgery, Wisdom fought his way back to fitness, only to suffer a groin injury shortly after returning to play for Derby. He eventually departed the club in 2021 amid financial turmoil.
Wisdom would not return to competitive football until nearly three years later, when he joined Warrington Town in the sixth tier of English football, and now has a new club by way of Derry City.