Meet Man Utd bidder Michael Knighton – the ball-juggling ex-headmaster who tried to manage Carlisle and is now an artist

MICHAEL KNIGHTON has vowed to complete a "hostile" takeover of Manchester United.

The 70-year-old served as a director at Old Trafford between 1989 and 1992 before waltzing off to buy, and even manage, Carlisle United.

The former headmaster, turned football owner, turned poet hellbent on ousting the Glazers has lived a colourful life in and out of the beautiful game.

Let's take a look at the man trying to become the owner of Manchester United.

YOUTH FOOTBALLER

Knighton comes from a strong footballing family, with his great-grandfather Willie Layton having starred for Sheffield Wednesday in the 1900s.

The full-back was part of Wednesday's 1903 and 1904 title-winning teams, before also lifting the FA Cup in 1907.

Knighton himself possessed a talent for football growing up - representing Everton's academy as a teenager.

He even told that a member of the Toffees' coaching staff had remarked that he was the "best youngster at that age he had ever seen".

The homesick teen would head to Coventry to be closer to his Derbyshire home, however, before a thigh injury unfortunately put paid to his hopes of becoming a professional.

HEADMASTER

After his football dreams were shattered Knighton initially turned to academia, attending Durham University to complete a degree in physical education.

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He clearly couldn't get enough of learning, as he then went back to study philosophy, politics and Mandarin Chinese, before also attaining an FA coaching badge.

Knighton turned to teaching in 1976, moving to Huddersfield to take on a role at St. David's School, going on to rise to headmaster in 1980.

Three years on he took the unorthodox route of buying the entire school, but in 1984 he quit teaching in order to start a property business.

He attained a number of assets across the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, before later resurfacing in football...

FIRST UNITED BID

In August 1989 Knighton exploded on to the First Division scene by lodging a staggering £20million bid to buy Man United.

The bid was the largest sum offered for a British club in history at the time and was duly accepted by then-chief executive Martin Edwards.

Desperate to impress the Old Trafford faithful, Knighton donned a full United tracksuit and astonishingly took to the to pitch to try and impress fans with his football skills, performing keepie-uppies for the crowd prior to the 4-1 win against Arsenal in 1989.

He also pledged to invest £10m in Old Trafford itself, but when two of his backers pulled out, the deal hit the rocks.

Knighton tried to get other backers onboard but as the deadline to prove his funds approached he opted to back out of the deal - instead taking a seat on the club's board.

After three years with Sir Alex Ferguson and Co, Knighton departed to fulfil his ambition of owning a club outright.