Official: Ro-Shaun Williams departs Manchester United

Manchester United have confirmed the departure of academy graduate Ro-Shaun Williams, who joins Shrewsbury Town in a permanent deal.

Ro-Shaun Williams has departed Manchester United on a permanent basis, the club have announced on their official website. The youngster joins League One outfit Shrewsbury Town for an undisclosed fee and has signed a two-and-a-year contract with the club.

Manchester-born Ro-Shaun Williams has always been considered as a quality prospect within the Manchester United academy by coaches, pundits and fans alike. Many had expected the young defender to be ultimately handed a chance to be a part of the first-team setup in the near future.

Pacy and technically adept, the left-footed centre-back has an FA Cup medal with Manchester United from their triumph in 2016. In fact, Ro-Shaun actually broke the 25-year-old 100-metre schoolboy record previously held by Darren Campbell.

Done Deal: ✍️ Shrewsbury Town are delighted to announce the signing of highly-rated young defender Ro-Shaun Williams on a two-and-a-half-year deal from @ManUtd . #salop ??

>https://t.co/cb5vYFlXp5 pic.twitter.com/YVBWhKt6eB

— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsweb) January 30, 2019

The 2018-19 campaign saw Ro-Shaun Williams be a regular face in the Under-23 squad, with 15 appearances to his name. There were high expectations from the player, who was thought to already be at a Championship level, which is why the permanent move to League One club Shrewsbury Town has surprised a lot of Manchester United fans.

Ro-Shaun Williams seemed pleased upon completion of his move to League One Shrewsbury Town and highlighted how his wish for first-team football was what drove him to seek a permanent transfer.

“I feel like I’ve completed youth football, I’ve come up from playing for your local team all the way through to the reserves at United. I think I’m ready to be playing men’s football.”

The defender is somewhat of a coup for Shrewsbury Town and manager Sam Ricketts seem to agree while speaking to the club’s official website after Ro-Shaun’s transfer.

“He’s had a very good early career, captained England at junior age groups. He’s a player who wants to play men’s football. He wants to come and be part of something. He’s young, he’s an athlete. I’m really looking forward to having him at the club and he’ll prove to be a good signing for Shrewsbury. We’ve fought off other clubs to get him, so we’re delighted to have him. We’re looking to add quality to the squad and he certainly fits that.”

There is no news of a potential buyback clause embedded in the deal, which is reported to be worth under a million. Not a good deal for Manchester United. It will be interesting to see how Ro-Shaun Williams develops from here on out.