Unrecognisable Man Utd star has completely different career and even ‘wants to go by a new name’
A FORMER Manchester United star has been living a completely different life since retiring – and even occasionally goes by a different name.
The Red Devils were the dominant team of the 90s in England and enjoyed great success under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The ex-midfielder and forward was a big part of that period, playing for the club between 1987 and 1998.
He made over 350 appearances but now enjoys a drastically different lifestyle.
The man in question is Brian McClair, who has distanced himself from his playing days both in looks and personality.
The Scot now has a giant grey beard with long grey locks that come downs to his shoulders and lives life as a successful podcaster.
He admitted on his podcast Life With Brian that his new appearance often triggers confusion in fans.
He said: “It happens an awful lot more than I ever imagined it would, particularly the fact I’m covered in this lovely grey stuff that’s growing out of my face.
“It’s entertaining listening. Sometimes I’ve been in situations where my name has cropped up and they’ve no idea it’s me, which is pretty bizarre.
“What I tend to say now when they ask if I’m Brian McClair is “I used to be”, which is quite flummoxing for a lot of people. How can you used to be? Who are you now? What are you now?”
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The former footie player, who was nicknamed Choccy during his career, even playfully introduces himself by a different name sometimes.
He revealed he calls himself “Chocrates” because “I’m a philosopher now.”
A picture of McClair sat at a pub went viral in January with fans in disbelief at the changes to his appearance.
The 59-year-old explained that even autograph-hunting fans think that his friends are him due to how different he now looks, and recounted a tale when he and a mate were approached at a pub.
McClair added: “My mate looks nothing like me and is comfortably three stones heavier for a start. He pointed at me and the guy said, “no that’s not Brian McClair.”
“My mate handed me a bit of paper and I signed it. The guy was totally disgusted and turned to my mate and said: “What kind of f*****g person are you? Can’t you even f*****g sign an autograph?”
McClair won four Premier League titles with Man United before departing for Motherwell.
He later coached United’s Youth Academy between 2006 and 2015.