It is a well-known fact that only a small percentage of those who are enrolled into Manchester United's academy end up enjoying a lucrative career at Old Trafford.

So many youngsters over the years have fallen short of making their first-team debut, while others have forced their way in and then struggled to stay there. The latter applies to Marnick Vermijl, who joined United's academy from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2010.

After the best part of two years playing for the youth teams and for the reserves, Vermijl's moment in the spotlight arrived when Newcastle United visited Old Trafford in the third round of the League Cup in September 2012. Handed his senior debut by Sir Alex Ferguson he started alongside the likes of David de Gea, Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney, helping United seal a 2-1 win.

Unfortunately for him it did not prove to be a breakthrough moment, so much so he had to wait almost another two years before sampling the taste of first-team football in United colours again. That night he started the infamous 4-0 League Cup defeat to MK Dons at Stadium MK, marking one of the worst results in United's modern history. He only featured in one United matchday squad again, making the bench for a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in November 2014. It was becoming increasingly obvious he would have to leave to take the next step in his career.

In February 2015, the Belgian joined Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. He penned a three-and-a-half-year deal at Hillsborough in a move that seemed to suit all parties, with Vermijl set to get the opportunity to earn regular minutes and put down some roots.

Yet he made just 11 appearances between his February arrival and the end of the 2014/15 campaign. The 2015 summer transfer window saw Wednesday appoint a new head coach in Carlos Carvalhal and it resulted in Vermijl leaving the Owls just seven months after joining them, making the switch to Preston North End on a season-long loan deal.

He had a relatively successful campaign at Deepdale, making 32 appearances, featuring three goals and two assists. He made the move permanent in August 2016, after returning to Wednesday and making just one further appearance.

Despite earning more opportunities at North End than he did for Wednesday, Vermijl, speaking in 2020, admitted he regretted leaving Old Trafford when he did, even though opportunities were proving hard to come by.

"I learned a lot, and if I hadn't done it, I would have regretted it a lot," he told Het Belang van Limburg. "It was the club I had always been a supporter of. The only thing I regret is that I left too early. I thought I had come at an age when I had to play.

"Louis van Gaal honestly told me he couldn’t offer me that [minutes]. I was about to join Lokeren… But on the way to Belgium I got the message in the car that it was [transfer] cancelled.

"Suddenly I had nothing left. Two days later, Rio Ferdinand helped me [move] to Sheffield Wednesday. But if I had stayed in Manchester, I would have had some playing opportunities in hindsight. They had an injury wave that season, all in my position."

Including his season-long loan spell Vermijl spent four seasons contracted to North End but was sent out on loan twice, spending time at Scunthorpe United in 2017/18 and at Dutch side MVV Maastricht the following year. It meant he made just 39 appearances over the duration of those two seasons.

Released by Preston in June 2019, the defender joined MVV on a permanent basis before returning to his homeland in July 2020, joining K.V.V. Thes Sport Tessenderlo.

Still on their books, Vermijl has made 87 appearances for the club in total and has been a regular starter this season, playing 26 times. Despite finding consistency the fact he is playing in the third tier of Belgian football after having such grand ambitions at United will no doubt be a bitter pill to swallow.

He has not reached the heights he perhaps hoped for when joining United in 2010, but he is not the first and will not be the last.