There won’t be many tears shed at the news that Lee Grant will leave Manchester United this summer after he announced he would be retiring from the professional game.
Grant, 39, has spent four seasons at United and has only made two competitive appearances. One came off the bench in the Carabao Cup defeat to Derby County in September 2018; the other came 14 months later in a Europa League defeat away at Astana.
The veteran goalkeeper was essentially a coach by his fourth and final season at the club, even being named on teamsheets as one last season, and oddly enough, even acting as the fourth official in a win against Newcastle when he held up the electronic board on the touchline.
READ MORE: Lee Grant makes Manchester United statement confirming departure
But that doesn’t mean he won’t be missed by his teammates at the club. Grant is one of the most popular members of the Old Trafford dressing room, offering priceless experience and entertainment on a daily basis.
While it is true that a squad must be comprised of talented players, the key to success is often dictated by the fine margins, be it match preparation, recovery or even squad morale.
Having experienced figures like Grant around is essential to any dressing room, and in a summer where Edinson Cavani and Nemanja Matic will also leave the club, there is now further emphasis on someone else to fill the void.
Juan Mata has already suggested he could stay if Erik ten Hag offered him a contract extension, but if he does leave, then David de Gea and Cristiano Ronaldo will be the last of the veterans still at the club and have extra to lead off the pitch as well.
The exits of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard mean United will be without two of their most popular dressing room characters next season too, leaving space for others to step up to the spotlight and bring happiness to the first-team frame.
Ten Hag might be tasked with the quantitative task of replacing those who leave this summer, but his toughest test will be the qualitative task of replacing exactly what it was that the veteran players brought to the dressing room.
With the Dutchman looking to implement his own style and regime at Old Trafford this summer, he will need to win over the dressing room quickly and influence the most powerful players in the squad.
Losing some of the players that he will this summer could be a blessing in disguise to implement change effectively, though there are certainly others who could still offer plenty off the pitch if they were kept around.
Ultimately, it once again comes down to the personalities that Ten Hag recruits this summer, and a timely warning that the best players do not always make the best characters for a winning dressing room.
It could well mean buying someone who is slightly less talented if they fit in better with the overall philosophy and if they would effortlessly fit into the squad dynamic that is looking to be achieved.
They shouldn’t take players like Grant for granted.
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