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Former Manchester United star Luke Chadwick revealed in 2021 that he used to fake phone calls with an imaginary girlfriend when he was a teenager. He recalled being embarrassed about not having a relationship at the age of 16 as the reason behind this gimmick around his teammates.
Taking to X (Formerly Twitter), Chadwick said that he cut out a photo of the most attractive girl from his schoolbook and kept it in his wallet. He claimed that it was to be used in case one of his Manchester United teammates asked about his girlfriend, and wrote:
"When I moved to Manchester at 16 I was embarrassed about not having a girlfriend, so I cut out the most attractive girl from my school year book. I kept it in my wallet in case anyone asked. I got so into the lie I was even having fake phone calls with my imaginary girlfriend in digs!"
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The former midfielder later wrote in his autobiography that it was done because of the abuse he suffered because of his physical appearance. The Englishman added that he was also shy and an introvert, but believes that it was his biggest mistake in his life. He wrote in Not Just A Pretty Face (via Express):
"I didn't know how to deal with it. I was still so shy and so introverted that I would never allow myself to open up and talk about how I was feeling inside. When I look back now, it was my greatest mistake really. If I had that emotional intelligence and understanding of how to be vulnerable and spoke about my issues, but at the same time, I wouldn't change anything. The challenges I went through, the stuff that went on, when I look back at how it supported my growth as a human being. It allowed me to understand myself on a deeper level and probably the biggest challenge I had was my self-dialogue."
Chadwick played just 38 matches for the Manchester United first team, scoring twice and assisting five times, before leaving the club. He went on to play for Stoke City, Norwich City, Reading FC, and West Ham United, among others, but his best spell came at MK Dons, where he played 246 matches, scoring 24 goals and providing 26 assists.
Former Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick clarifies abuse comments
Luke Chadwick went on to clarify the comments about suffering abuse for his physical appearance and said that it was more from himself than those around him. The former Manchester United midfielder believes that it made him weak, but also worked out well, as it helped him become a better adult.
He wrote in his autobiography, Not Just A Pretty Face (via Express):
"It wasn't the actual issue of the abuse and mockery, it was more I'd give myself such a hard time about it and think there was something wrong with me as I was letting it affect me, like it had made me a weak human being. Although it was really challenging at the time, it really helped me understand myself better moving forward into adulthood and as an older man."
Chadwick called time on his career in 2016, after a short spell at Soham Town Rangers in 2016. He has a Premier League medal to his name, having been part of the title-winning squad at Manchester United in the 2000/01 season.
