David Bellion didn't quite break through at Man United and off the pitch he has forged a successful career.
David Bellion of Manchester United appeals during the Carling Cup match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on December 1 2004
David Bellion spent three years at Manchester United
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David Bellion only started five league games during his Manchester United career but the city, the club and the country stuck with him. The Frenchman joined United in 2003 and had his moments in a red shirt. He scored on his full debut, played in the Champions League and won a Community Shield.
But it was away from football where the biggest impression was made. He met his wife in the city and not only fell in love with her, but also the music, the humour and the culture. It added to his already existing interest in the arts, fashion and creativity, and played a part in his journey after football. While many hang up their boots and move into coaching or punditry, Bellion became creative director at French side Red Star FC.
Bellion had ended his playing career at the Paris-based club and his role was to bring together the converging cultures of sport, music, art, fashion and gaming. It played to his interests and is covered in depth in a new book about the club - Red Star Paris, More Than Just A Football Club - which is out now.
In the book, Bellion discusses moving to Manchester to join United and how it harnessed his love of football, fashion and music. In this excerpt of the book, written by Simon Binns, Bellion sets the scene of his life at United. "‘When I was a kid, I said to my mum, 'one day I’ll play with Ryan Giggs'. I never doubted it. He doesn’t look like a footballer and then you see him on the pitch – unplayable.
"My problem in Manchester was that I never played week in, week out. And I was very weak tactically. My talent was more emotional, instinctive. Just give me the ball and let me try and do something good. But the best player I got to play with was Juan Sebastian Veron. Even in training, he was the definition of football as style. He just made it look easy. He played with the joy of a child. How do you coach that? I’m not going to give him any advice.
"In the same dressing room as Bellion was a 19-year- old Cristiano Ronaldo, signed from Sporting Lisbon after several first-team players had struggled to deal with him in a friendly and advised Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him.
"‘It wasn’t like his talent stood out because there were so many great players, but his drive for hard work was insane,’ says Bellion. ‘I’d never seen that before. At the end of training, he would stay for an hour on his own, just perfecting his game. Every single day.’
"I ask if he could have his time over and I could grant him the choice of a career in football or music, which he would choose. He answers without missing a beat. ‘I’d be a music producer. I’d be like Dr. Dre or Pharrell [Williams] and just do music.
"I was obsessed with watching Fade to Black – Rick Rubin and Jay-Z making The Black Album. Timbaland coming up with “Dirt off Your Shoulder” and Jay-Z hearing it for the first time. I had a four-track and the same keyboard as Pharrell. When I first became a footballer, it was my first big expensive purchase.’"
Bellion is not your average former footballer and Red Star is not your average football club.
Red Star Paris, More Than Just A Football Club is out now with Pitch Publishing.