The tragic tale of Adrian Doherty - a lost football genius

You may be aware of a new book on the shelves by Oliver Kay about Adrian Doherty, the Northern Ireland youngster who impressed at Manchester United before dying tragically young.

Doherty is one of those names flickering on the edge of a greater narrative, in this case Manchester United’s march to the top of English soccer thanks to the gifted crop of kids who came through at around the same time — Giggs, the Nevilles, Scholes, and Beckham. Doherty might have been one of that group; according to legend, he was a gifted player, but can you trust the legend?

Cork native Brian Carey knew Doherty well from his own time at United. Last week he told me about the kid from Northern Ireland.