The heartbeat of United: Romone Blackett
You'll struggle to find many staff members at MUFC that cover the phrase ‘Heartbeat of United’ as comprehensively as Romone Blackett.
In 2024, Romone is one of Manchester United Foundation’s key workers in one of its partner schools, where the club’s associated charity aims to make a difference in the lives of Greater Manchester’s young people, working closely with students who need a little extra support, mentoring them and providing enrichment opportunities to aid their development.
But Blackett’s own association with the club dates back to when he was just a nipper himself.
Born in Old Trafford, he joined the Academy aged eight and represented our youth teams at numerous levels, before hooking up with the Foundation to use his own life experiences for the benefit of others.
Last year, he was nominated for a Leadership & Empowerment award at the CAHN (Caribbean & African Health Network) awards, for his work mentoring kids at Loreto High School in Chorlton.
“I went through the ranks and was released at Under-15s, but I went on to Blackpool and Wigan, which was really good,” he begins.
“And everything I learned when I was growing up at the Academy – with Rene [Meulensteen] and all the great coaches, like [Mark] Dempsey – I’ve tried to implement throughout the school. The discipline, the timing, how you grow up as a young adult... it’s helped me to become the man I am and I use it for my mentoring. I’ve been able to give my experiences to the young children now. It’s been a massive help on my journey.”
Romone – cousin of former United first-teamer Tyler Blackett – was spotted as a youngster while playing for Fletcher Moss Rangers, the youth football club that helped to develop Wes Brown, Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck.
“Tyler told me to come down to one of the training sessions, but I liked basketball!” he smiles in reference to his cousin. “But I went there and realised I was pretty good at it and got snatched up pretty quickly.”
But when football came to a halt, he quickly found a new calling. “I just had this vision, after speaking to some of my younger cousins and giving them advice about the game,” he recalls. “I realised I was pretty good at mentoring. That’s when I moved on to speaking to John [Shiels, the Foundation’s CEO] and trying to get involved in the Foundation.
“Loreto is now my base. I’ve got not just some good footballing students, but other amazing students who are inspired to do well. As everyone knows, you go through ups and downs, so being able to just give them experiences from my point of view is nice.
“The kids ask me how did I keep going, how did I push myself? They ask me how you channel setbacks. It could be advice about what happens on the pitch, or what they need to do to help them get their scholarship, what they need to improve on. Some may have been released [from football clubs], and your head can drop a bit and you can lose focus.”
Last term, Alejandro Garnacho and former United midfielder Fred visited Loreto – and Blackett says that the power of advice from those who embody excellence cannot be underestimated.
“Garnacho, who’s doing really well now, is an especially great example,” says Romone. “They [the kids] can always take that with them, that they’ve met him and been up close and personal. They see he’s put the work in and he’s got the motivation. Hopefully seeing him achieve things gives them the boost to do the same one day, whatever career they choose.”
Romone’s career has taken its own twists and turns, from footballer to mentor, but throughout he’s been thankful for the family-like feel at United.
“It’s my home, basically,” he says. “I’ve been in different sides of it – the footballing side, the mentoring side, the primary school coaching side, so I feel embedded into the club. It’s always been a home and everyone always looks out for and respects each other, and that’s something that’s been instilled in us since we were young. I still speak to many of my old coaches and friends from the Academy.
“Tyler actually came back to train with the ’21s a few years ago,” he remembers, “just to get fit again because he wasn’t playing. One phone call – I think it was to [Mark] Dempsey – and he said: ‘Yeah, come on in,’ which helped him get his fitness so he could get to [current club] Rotherham. It just shows how close we are as a family at United. That’s what I love most.”
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