I've ditched United for second division team in Germany

FED-UP FAN NOW TRAVELS 1,000 MILES TO WATCH MINNOWS

- By JAKE MEEUS-JONES & CHARLOTTE FISHER

A UNITED fan who ditched the Red Devils after becoming fed up with the club forked out £500 for a season ticket for a team in Germany and travels 1,000 miles every fortnight to watch them.

Ryan Williams, 36, decided to ditch his lifelong club to support Bochum, in the west of Germany, last year after feeling like United no longer appreciates its fans.

He now spends £130 for a return flight, making the 480-mile journey there and back every other week, to watch his new club play in Bundesliga 2.

Ryan says he made the switch after becoming “disconnected” with the Premier League’s spending.

The driving instructor and content creator from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, said: “This little love story has blossomed, and I fully support this club.

“They were relegated from the Bundesliga to the Bundesliga 2 last season. I've found that the Germans love the fact that their league can be appreciated.

“They have the fan-owned club model and although they've lost a lot of players to the Prem, a lot of Bundesliga fans feel sorry for us that we've lost our clubs to billionaires.

“There’s the narrative from the commercial side of things that the Prem is the best league in the world, but I do think I represent a growing number of men and women that feel that disconnect is growing year on year with our clubs.”