Cheltenham Town midfielder Charlie McCann reveals how his Manchester United dream, Rangers breakthrough and Steve Cotterill relationship have shaped his ambition at Whaddon Road
15:13, 22 Jul 2026
Charlie McCann clearly remembers the moment he walked into Carrington and wondered what on earth he was doing there.
The Coventry-born midfielder had grown up supporting Manchester United, but suddenly he was sharing a training ground with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and watching Jose Mourinho walk the corridors. McCann joined United’s academy at the age of 15 after shining for Coventry City, fulfilling a boyhood ambition in the process.
He then moved north of the border to Rangers, where he made his first-team breakthrough at one of football's most demanding clubs. There have been challenges along the way too. A move to Forest Green Rovers did not unfold as planned, with injury and relegation disrupting his progress.
But it eventually led him back to Steve Cotterill - the manager who has continued to believe in him and brought him to Cheltenham Town as his first signing of this summer. Now 24, McCann is determined to prove that the best years of his career are still ahead.
His story began much closer to home, kicking a ball around on the sidelines while watching his older brother play for Coventry Sphinx. He trained with both Coventry City and Aston Villa at a very young age before opting to play Sunday League football, turning out for Sphinx himself and playing a year up, then for Brinklow FC, which he feels was important for his development.
"A lot of lads don’t end up in academies until 14 or 15 and I don’t think it’s vital. It can be a hindrance because it’s a very pressured environment," he says. "You see nine or 10-year-old kids going into meetings and being told whether they are getting contracts and they shouldn’t be having to deal with that stress and pressure at that age.
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"Luckily, I was one of the better ones, so didn’t really have that stress. But I had mates who got released at 15 or 16 and they can go down a different path, making some bad life choices because of that disappointment. It’s a lot of pressure, so it was good for me to go and enjoy myself."
A return to Coventry’s academy did follow, based just a stone’s throw from his family home in Whitley. "The club were in the Championship at the time and the academy was really good. I remember training with Ben Stevenson and Jordan Shipley when I was 12 and they were 16 or 17. I think because it was smaller than some of the really big clubs, there was more of a focus and care for the players and it was nurturing."
Richard Stevens, now leading West Brom’s academy, was a major influence on McCann at Coventry and the two remain in touch. His progress attracted the attention of a host of clubs, but there was only one choice when United made him an offer ahead of his last year at school.
"I couldn’t go anywhere else! They wanted me in September, but I actually had a stress fracture in my back that needed about three months to heal, so I stayed in school and made the move properly in the January. From then until the end of the season I did Monday and Tuesday at home, then Wednesday to Saturday in Manchester, moving up full-time after finishing school. I think that helped me make the transition rather than being thrown straight in, so it worked out well."
McCann was coached by United’s Under-18s manager Kieran McKenna, who has since led Ipswich Town to successive promotions from League One to the Premier League. "I was training with lads two or three years older than me, like Angel Gomes, and at times I was in disbelief, thinking ‘what am I doing here?’ but I learned so much."
McCann moved to digs in Sale and was suddenly touring Austria and Germany in pre-season. "It was so busy, I hardly got to see any of Manchester. We must have had four or five tournaments abroad in the first 18 months, so experience-wise, it couldn’t have been much better. When some of the lads started learning to drive, you’d get to have the odd trip to the Trafford Centre and things like that, but it was all about training and matches.
"At Carrington, there were two buildings. The one on the left was for the younger age groups, but when you got to Under-18s and 23s, you’d go into the other one, with the first team, eating in the canteen with the players and staff. I’d go into the gym and Ibrahimovic was in there, then you’d see Mourinho walking around the building and at first it’s almost like an out-of-body experience! But gradually you get used to it."
McCann’s hero growing up was Wayne Rooney, who had just left United, but there was no shortage of world-class ability to learn from. "Mason Greenwood was in my year and he was the biggest talent, hands down. Anthony Elanga (now Newcastle) and Teden Mengi (Luton Town) were also there and Mark Helm, who is now at Fleetwood. In the year above, we had Ethan Galbraith, James Garner and Brandon Williams, so you were surrounded by quality. It might be a bit daunting at first, but there were lads from Spain, Czech Republic and all over so being only a couple of hours from home, it was a lot easier for me."
McCann savours the memory of defeating an all-conquering Chelsea team in the FA Youth Cup. "They’d won it five years in a row, but Mason scored a hat-trick - it was basically give him the ball and he’d win us games! Cole Palmer was the best I faced. I remember playing against him for the Under-18s and he was tiny, but 18 months later we played him again in the 23s and he must have grown half a foot and he had that lanky style of his. He put one in the top corner from 40 yards and I remember thinking ‘he’s a joke!’"
McCann found the net for the Under-23s at Salford City in the EFL Trophy, but he found that level of football less enjoyable than the Under-18s, for whom he’d appeared several times at Old Trafford. "You are in limbo a bit because you want to play men’s football, but you are probably not quite ready. It’s a bit of a mash-up of players on different journeys so there was a lot more that was memorable for me in the 18s."
It was at that point that a 19-year-old McCann joined Rangers for a reported £750,000 fee. "I had a year left at Man United and they wanted me to play 23s football, but I’d already had 18 months of that and I didn’t think it’d benefit me. I asked about going on loan and they said if I did well I could potentially earn a new contract, but Rangers came out of nowhere.
"They were willing to pay a fee to get me up there, Steven Gerrard was the manager and when you think about the size of the club, it was a no-brainer really because they wanted me to train with the first team and progress from there."
McCann admits to being surprised by the sheer scale of the Glasgow giants and the level of expectation from their supporters. "Until you are there, you don’t quite realise the size of the challenge you are taking on. I maybe thought it would be easier than it was because you don’t really see the pressure. Their fans are amazing, but you have to win, every single week, regardless of who you are playing. I soon realised how big a club it was: as big as Man United.
"Training with the first team was another level and at the end of my first season there, they got to the Europa League final. Gerrard left for Villa and was replaced by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, which is when things started to pick up for me."
McCann appeared for the B team in the Lowland League before breaking into the first team in February 2022, with a debut against Annan Athletic in the Scottish FA Cup, in front of 2,500. But he was soon performing before nearly 50,000 at Ibrox, going on from the bench in a 2-0 win over Dundee United. He had replaced former Wales and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey in a victory at Dundee a month earlier.
"I felt I did well and going back for pre-season I had a first team number and locker and I went away with the first team. I scored in a friendly against Blackpool and played against West Ham and Tottenham. The manager, along with coaches Roy Makaay and Dave Vos, was really good for me. I went away with Northern Ireland seniors that summer too, so it was all looking positive."
A first Scottish Premiership start followed against Dundee United on September 17, 2022. "That was brilliant; everything I’d been waiting for. I only found out a couple of hours before kick-off I was starting so it was a whirlwind, but you can’t ask for much more than playing in front of 50,000 at a stadium like Ibrox."
That experience was followed by some more substitute appearances, before his progress was suddenly disrupted. "Then they sacked van Bronckhorst, out of nowhere and that was a tough one for me because I felt like I was getting somewhere and establishing myself. I was gutted. Michael Beale came in and everything changed."
McCann lived in the West End of a city he describes as "vibrant" and "football mad".
"I’d only played a couple of games and people were stopping me in shops for photos, which was a crazy experience. They are obsessed and know every player, even from the youth team. It’s just a great city and where I lived was lovely, with plenty of nice restaurants and coffee shops."
In terms of footballing talent, McCann singles out Steven Davis: "Nobody could get near him in training, he was so intelligent. He helped and guided me as well - the biggest influence on me while I was there. Amad came in on loan, who I knew from Man United, and Ramsey was struggling with injuries at the back end of his career, but you could see the ability he had was different level."
In January 2023, McCann made the only decision of his career he says he looks back on with any regret. He had two years left on his contract at Rangers and had been offered a new three-and-a-half year deal, but he opted to leave for League One strugglers Forest Green Rovers.
"I wanted more regular football and I asked to go on loan, but they wanted to keep me in as I’d qualify as a homegrown player for their European squads the following season. I didn’t feel that’d benefit my career because I wasn’t playing. I’d been wrapped up in Rangers and was a little detached from English football. I hadn’t heard of Forest Green Rovers to be honest, but I went there hoping to do well and go again. I should have done more due diligence and realistically, stayed at Rangers.
"I got injured almost straight away so it was a bit of a nightmare. It sounds silly now because I was at one of the biggest clubs in the world, but I just wanted to play and get experience because I only had a handful of games at 21. I should have stayed where I was."
One positive to come out of his time at Forest Green was working under Cotterill, with whom he now has a particularly strong bond. "It probably took me a little longer than some lads to get the gaffer’s way of working, out of a bit of immaturity and inexperience from my side.
"Having been at Man United and Rangers and not seen the ‘real side’ of football, to then have someone coming in and telling you how it is and what it needs to be, I probably didn’t take too well to it at first. But over time, I got to know him and realise how much he cares and looks after you - he means well in everything he does.
"It sometimes comes across a certain way at certain points, or it might come across as an arm around the shoulder at others. But when you get to know him as a character, you understand the reasons behind things. After taking me a few months to realise that, we had a great relationship and I really enjoyed playing under him. It was a bit of a shock coming back for pre-season last year and him not being there. Everyone knows my situation - after that I didn’t want to be there.
"We kept in touch and he’d check in on me and help me out with advice, which he didn’t have to do. He knows the game inside out and I always knew I could pick up the phone to him. It’s a trust thing: I trust him and he trusts me and now he’s brought me to Cheltenham, I am excited to see what happens because I really enjoy playing the way he wants me to play and it suits me really well.
"Since he’s come in last year to now, you can see the vast improvements he’s made on and off the pitch, even with the kit. You want to look good and feel good and we are getting everything we can ask for now. A new canteen, new chefs and the food is great. There is still more work going on at the training ground and it’s an exciting project."
McCann spent last season at Barrow, where he was widely regarded as their stand-out performer in what was a turbulent year, during which they had five different managers and suffered relegation to the National League. "It’s a strange one because the outcome was disappointing, but I actually really enjoyed my time there. It’s a bit of a weird and wonderful one with how the club works, training in Manchester, but we did have a decent group of lads and the fans were great.
"We fell short in the end, but there was a lot of turmoil and with five managers, it did get a bit ridiculous at times. But Barrow gave me a chance to come in late on and I can’t complain about anything. It’s a shame they are not in the Football League anymore, but I hope they bounce straight back."
McCann spent last year living just south of Manchester, but he will now be able to move back into the Brockworth house he bought during his last spell in Gloucestershire. “I know Cheltenham well as a town, so it was a really straightforward decision to sign for the gaffer here once it was all sorted with Barrow.
"It shows the faith the gaffer has put in me and I want to repay him. Last time playing under him it went well on a personal note so hopefully it’s more of the same. The gaffer is big on the group and it’s been so easy to fit in, with no bad eggs. A good group will take you a long way and the gaffer wants to sign good players and good people.
"You can tell this is his club and he wants the best for it, so it means even more. He really cares about the town and the club and he’s really invested in getting Cheltenham back to League One. He might not come out and say that, but it’s definitely our intention as players - fingers crossed we can have a successful season."
McCann roomed with his old Coventry colleague Shipley during the pre-season training camp in Spain, which he describes as a brilliant week. "It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. The facilities we had were a lot more than you’d expect for a League Two club’s pre-season trip, so everyone enjoyed it and being together all day, every day brings you closer and builds those bonds through the suffering!"
Having returned to England, Cheltenham kicked off their trio of pre-season games at Evesham United on Saturday, with McCann scoring twice and very nearly making it a hat-trick before Sopuruchukwu Obieri finished from close range after his long-range effort hit the post.
"It was nice to meet some of the fans and I was impressed with how many of them made the trip for a friendly – that shows we have a good following here and fair play to them. It was nice putting on the kit for the first time and hopefully I made a good impression with the fans and also the lads I was playing with. I like getting goals and assists, so it was a good start."
Outside football, McCann admits he has a "golf addiction", recently playing a round on Cleeve Hill with new teammate Pierce Sweeney and ex-Robins captain Sean Long. Already familiar with Shipley and Stevenson from their Sky Blues days, McCann also spent last season with new Robins goalkeeper Wyll Stanway, who he is backing to be a big hit at Whaddon Road.
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"Wyll is a confident keeper, shot-stopping wise and he’ll come and collect crosses. He’s a big lad, imposing and a very good keeper, so we are in safe hands."
Having experienced so much in his career already, McCann remains ambitious to climb back up the leagues. "I believe I can play higher than League Two. It’s partly luck, but you have to prove yourself and keep improving. I am still on that path of trying to get there. I hope to do well for Cheltenham and for myself and make that happen."