Stanley Chow illustrates favourite United players
Here at Manchester United, we love seeing great people do great things, both on and off the pitch.
The entire collection can be viewed here and be sure to head on over to Stanley's Instagram account to take a look at some of his great work.
Stanley's relationship with United started when he was young.
Growing up in Altrincham, Stanley details that a lot of the footballers used to head to his family chip shop in the 70s, with the likes of Lou Macari, Gordon McQueen, and Willie Morgan frequently visiting the establishment.
“I remember they always used to come to our chippy, and then actually seeing them on TV on a show called ‘Kick Off’ kind of sparked that connection between them as people and footballers,” he explained to us.
The club worked with Stanley previously a couple of years back, and he held an exhibition at the club museum to showcase a great collection of apparel and accessories that he designed. The collaborative effort has been rekindled this year, and the collection includes excellent illustrations of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, Edinson Cavani, David De Gea, Marcus Rashford, and Raphael Varane.
How did you get into illustration?
“It all started as soon as I could pick up a pen. I grew up in a chip shop, and all I had was chip paper and a pen. You know, my parents looked after me whilst they were working, and I would sit downstairs drawing. Fill your boots basically! I knew from the age of about five or six that I was going to be an artist or an illustrator.”
How did your connection with Manchester United begin?“My dad used to work in a restaurant in Alderley Edge back in the ’60s, and he used to speak about Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Dennis Law going in. So he became a fan through getting to know them, and obviously, you usually end up supporting the team that your dad follows. So because he used to go on about Man United all the time, it was a natural progression for me to support United.”
What does Manchester United mean to you?
“Over time it’s just sort of become who I am really. Growing up you speak to people and all they talk about is United, and then you see them on TV all of the time, so it naturally just becomes a part of you. You just end up loving that team. It’s a proud feeling, words can’t describe what your football team means to you.”
“Naturally, I’m influenced by what I see. So, if I’m watching football all of the time, I end up drawing footballers! It’s just one of those things that happen. If I get into a musical act, for example, I’ll do an illustration of them. They’ll even be a TV show, and I’ll just be interested in it and end up drawing it. I’m influenced by everyday life. If I’m in a park and have a nice day, I’ll end up drawing a park scene, or if I’m out on my skateboard, I’ll come home and draw a skateboarder.”
Which portrait is your favourite from this latest collection?
“I love De Gea, he’s one of my favourite players, and I still wear his T-shirt from the first collection [with the club]. But also Sancho, I love Sancho and the excitement that surrounds him. I’m still caught up in it all.”
Who is your favourite United player to illustrate?
“I’ve done a few Rashford ones. I did one for the Premier League’s campaign against racism back in 2020, and I really enjoyed doing that. They basically asked me to pick a player, and it actually coincided with Marcus’s birthday, and it was also during Black History Month, too.”
“You’ve put me on the spot! Right now, I think it would probably be Frenkie De Jong. He’s the player to fill that hole in our midfield.
“However, if I had to go for any retired player, I would have loved to have seen and drawn Gazza. He nearly joined United all those years ago, and I can remember reading the papers and sort of seeing it all unfold, but then, unfortunately, he didn’t join us. I would have loved to have seen him in a United shirt!”
Remember to follow @weareunited and tag #unitedstyle so that we can see your United style.