Manchester United academy player and youth team captain Rhys Bennett is being applauded for giving an inspirational interview following the death of his father, sharing a moving and important message about mental health awareness.
Just a disclaimer, while the sit-down with Sky Sports News is deeply touching, it does touch on some triggering subjects, such as suicide.
If you missed the tragic news last year, Rhys’ dad, David, sadly took his own life back in October after battling with depression, with his 22-year-old son speaking to the media back this past December and urging people to “just reach out“.
Since then, further clips from the candid and tearjerking chat haves surfaced online once again, and some are seeing them for the first time, with Bennett once again being met with praise for tackling the subject with bravery and sensitivity.
The Denton-born defender didn’t hesitate in insisting that he wouldn’t be where he is without his parents and David, in particular, but said that opening up and talking to people, as well as getting back into regular routines like eating and sleeping right helped him recover through the grieving process.
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He went on to add that he believes “people don’t realise just how appreciated they are” and that the simple act of asking if someone is ok or how they are doing can make a huge difference.
Dubbing it a “permanent solution to a temporary problem”, he also urged those to remember to check in people they love regularly, i.e. not just wait for when they think something might be wrong.
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Like anything, being pro-active and preventitive measures are just important in the ongoing mental health crisis that effects millions across the UK alone, with men, specifically, dying from suicide are a higher rate than females.
Bennett, of course, is not the only sports personality to have raised issues around wellbeing of late; not even locally, either, as Stopfordian Nathan Aspinall also called on the Professional Darts Players Association to offer better mental health service – citing “at least two of three people” who need help.
The Denton-born defender has been labelled as “wise beyond his years” and it being apparent why he has been chosen to lead the likes of under 18s and U21s.
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Bennett finished up last season at Fleetwood Town after spending his previous loan spell at local side Stockport County, but has since returned to the academy setup back at Carrington.
You can see his full interview with Sky Sports HERE, and to echo the same sentiment we can’t stress enough how much a problem shared is a problem halved.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, you can call the NHS via 111, speak to your GP, use helplines such as the Samaritans on 116 123, as well as find other services via Manchester City Council.
You can contact other charities like Manchester Mind and Andy’s Man Club, or get in touch with Greater Manchester Talking Therapies online. As always, in case of emergencies, please dial 999 immediately.
There is so much help for you out there. For instance, if you need some want an outlet to free up some headspace whilst meeting new like-minded people and getting some fresh air, there’s plenty of groups all over Greater Manchester.
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You'd be surprised how much good a walk and having a chat with a friend can do. 🥾❤️
Two Manchester Basketball players have been named in the SLB Team of the Season for 2025/26
Danny Jones
A pair of Manchester Basketball players have been named in the latest SLB Team of the Season for 2025/26.
The most recent UK Super League Basketball (SLB) campaign is set to wrap up this month, with the playoffs taking place down in the capital, but there are other awards to be handed out before then.
It remains to be seen how ‘The Final Four’ phase will play out at The O2 in London on 17 May, but we can definitely take joy in moments like this.
Announced on Thursday, 7 May, Manchester Basketball confirmed that duo Max Jones and Jordan Johnson have joined the rest of the league’s roster of the best players this term.
As detailed on the club website, “Max has averaged 17.4 points in the SLB in 32 games – he’s been a starter for the franchise and was also named in the ENBL All-Star Five in Germany last month.
“Jordan averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 assists in 30 games in the SLB, had a stellar European campaign and hit 30 pts in just over 27 minutes in the SLB Cup Final.”
Commenting on social media, one fan wrote: “Both JJ and PJ have been so great at the PG spot all year. I feel this is a joint award for them both, but they can only fill one spot for the accolade. If we wanna be a serious club to build upon year on year, JJ also needs to be in an MCR jersey next year.
“We absolutely have the pieces to build around. JJ’s nerve is sooooo cool under pressure. You can just tell they wanna loft a meaningful trophy, and it’s gonna happen if we as a club plan and build the way we need to.”
Plenty of supporters have also stressed the importance of making sure that the board tie down the likes of Jones and other big talents this summer; the rest of the Molten All-League Team of the Season for 2025/26 can be found below.
It’s also worth noting that teammate Tim Adetukasi and women’s team star Irene Oboavwoduo have each been named in the SLB’s British Team of the Year in their respective divisions for 2026.
Writing in a club statement reflecting on a great week of recognition for the resurgent club, General Manager Dominique Allen said: “We are really proud to be a club flying the flag for British players.
Both Tim and Irene have made a real impact on and off the court. We’re really happy for both of them that they are getting some well-deserved recognition.”
Well done to all the MCR stars who are helping get the franchise back on its feet following such a major rebrand across the board.
Here’s looking forward to another promising and productive year for Manchester Basketball.
Manchester City win first Women’s Super League title in a decade
Danny Jones
After a decade of hope and hard work, Manchester City have finally won the Women’s Super League once again in a huge moment for the local club.
Lifting not just their first division title in 10 years, but only their second WSL trophy since the modern female football era began in 2010, it felt like only a matter of time to many supporters.
Ending a six-year Chelsea supremacy, this is also manager Andrée Jeglertz’s first at the helm of Man City’s women’s team, who arrived at the club with a strong silverware record at the start of this season.
These were the scenes at home base as one key result sealed their status as champions:
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) May 6, 2026
City Women secured the WSL title following third-placed Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton on Wednesday evening.
They even managed to do so with a game to spare and a six-point gap over the west London club, which has won so much over the past few years.
Speaking in an interview with club media after confirmation of the win, captain and Euro 2025-winning Lionesses defender, Alex Greenwood, said: “[It feels] absolutely incredible. “A moment – we as a team, me personally – us as a club has waited so long for”.
“An incredible moment, it’s an incredible feeling. I’m so glad we got to spend this moment together as a group. Just an absolutely incredible feeling.”
With fans watching both at home, along with the first team themselves, the celebrations have already begun as the team shared a look back at how they got here.
You can see the recap posted on social media in full below.
Commenting on his latest accolade, the Swedish head coach added in a full club statement: “There’s never been doubt about the talent in the group, but there is something else about talking about being winners and champions. We started that early, and we believed in that. That’s led us through this year.
“It hasn’t been easy; it’s been hard work every day, but we had a strong belief that we could be sitting here in May and be champions. That is the first thing, and we definitely deserve it.”
Congratulations to the Cityzens on a well-deserved and long-awaited WSL title; could this be the start of another sporting dynasty of dominance over in East Manchester? Only time will tell…
In other news around the Etihad Campus, the women’s, EDS and academy team stadium is also set to host the final of the FA Youth Cup later this month.
Danny Jones -
20th January 2026 
