Charlie Scott hit rock bottom after Man Utd release - now he’s rebuilt his career in Asia

It was late 2019 when Charlie Scott last met up with his old pal Marcus Rashford for a catch-up over a game of pool.

Over the past few years the pair have kept in regular contact and Scott hopes to be able to get back to England for the first time in two years to meet up again later this summer.

Plenty has happened since the pair last saw each other.

Rashford has experienced triumph and heartache on England’s journey to the Euro 2020 final and became a national hero with his off-field work.

But Scott will also have his own stories to tell from his less well-documented but equally engrossing journey.

“We tend to speak on social media,” Scott says. “But we went out for a game of pool before I left just to catch-up and see each other again.

“I’ve known him since he was six, he’s probably my best mate in football, so it’ll be good when we get the chance to catch-up again.

“I just love seeing how well he’s doing on and off the pitch, because he’s such a nice guy.”

The last time Scott and Rashford met in person, the former was working on a building site and playing part-time in the eighth tier of English football for his local side.

Less than two years earlier, he had been a professional at Manchester United with Rashford, training alongside the likes of Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“I started working with my dad eventually,” he recalls. “Labouring on building sites.

“But I didn’t give up on football. I used to get up at 5am, an hour before we left for work, and just do a 5km run every morning before going to work.

“Trying to motivate yourself to do that then go to work on a construction site was difficult.

“It sounds crazy, but less than two years before I was a professional footballer for Manchester