Fergie put frighteners on Febian to kick-start career

From sleeping on a mate's couch in Greece to a rollicking from Sir Alex Ferguson – it's certainly been an interesting year for Walsall new-boy Febian Brandy.

The 23-year-old striker was snapped up by Saddlers boss Dean Smith and is in line to make his debut in the Capital One Cup clash with Brentford at the Banks's Stadium tomorrow.

Brandy began his career at Manchester United but was released in July 2010 since which he has struggled to find his way, until a phone call from Ferguson shook him into life.

"Sir Alex rang me quite recently and had a go at me because I hadn't found myself a club," explained Brandy.

"Obviously when I was at United he saw me as one of his players because I had been at the club for so long and he'd seen me come through the ranks. I was at United until the age of eight and left when I was in my early twenties so around about 12 years. He must have seen something in me to keep me there until then.

"He gave me a bit of a kick up the backside and told me to get myself a new agent as well because he felt I should have found myself a club by now.

"It was a bit of a shock to get a phonecall from him, although he was someone who was always capable of doing that.

"But for him to give me a call and tell me that really made me stop and think about things and realise that I had to get back on track."

The striker had loan spells at Swansea, Hereford and Gillingham. He joined Notts County for six months following his release from Old Trafford but his contract was not renewed.

It was then that Brandy, who appeared for England at youth-team level all the way from U16 to U20, headed over to Greece.

He said: "I went to a club called Panetolikos in the Greek Superleague because my friend Javan Vidal, who used to play at Manchester City, said they were interested in signing me.

"I ended up sleeping on his couch, they didn't pay me anything at all and after a month of it I had to get back to England."