OFFICIAL: Man Utd complete signing of 16-year-old wonderkid

Cameron Smith

5 Dec 2025 16:10 GMT
6 min read

Manchester United have officially announced the signing of England Under-16 goalkeeper Charlie Hardy.

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The teenager left Derby County earlier this year and he has now completed a free transfer move to Old Trafford.

The deal was revealed by The Athletic in October, who stated that Hardy had signed scholarship terms at Old Trafford, and the transfer has now finally been officially announced with a statement published on the Man Utd club website.

Hardy has five caps for England’s U16 team, however he hasn’t featured for his country since April, with his last appearance coming in a 3-0 defeat to Mexico.

The highly-rated goalkeeper made a total of four appearances for Derby’s U18s during his time at the club and he is expected to immediately join Darren Fletcher’s group of U18s at Man Utd.

After confirmation of his move to Old Trafford, Hardy said: “Proud to sign for Manchester United, the hard work continues.”

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A post shared by Charlie Hardy (@charliehardygk)

Charlie Hardy joins Man Utd

Hardy announced his departure from Derby in an Instagram post back in September and his proposed move to Man Utd has now finally been confirmed.

His exit message read: “After almost a decade at Derby County, the time has now come for a new chapter.

“It’s been an incredible nine years here. I just want to thank everyone at the club who has supported me throughout my journey and helped me to become the player and person I am today.

“I’m grateful for all the memories I’ve made throughout my time at the club and the lads I’ve played alongside, I wish everyone at the club the best for the future.”

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