DEVONTE REDMOND is ready to grasp the chance to shine at Wrexham with both hands after fearing he might be on the football scrapheap at 21.

Twelve months ago Redmond was attempting to make the grade at Shrewsbury, who offered the playmaker a trial after his release from Manchester United.

Nothing came of the trial, despite Redmond believing he’d done enough to be offered a deal, and the youngster was about to embark on seven months out of the game.

“It was difficult because it’s the first time I’ve been in that situation and I didn’t expect to be out of the game for that long,” said Redmond, who returned to football with Salford at the end of January.

“I had to carry on going and do my own thing in the time I was without a club and it paid off.

“I had a personal trainer, so it was hard, but once I got with him it was easier as he got my head straight.

“Obviously the deal with Salford then came about.

“There were times when I thought it might not come around.

“Now I’m looking forward to the future and excited to show what I can do.”

For most people on the outside it’s presumed that leaving Old Trafford is not the end of the road with plenty of other clubs ready to snap you up.

In reality, it’s not a case of your phone being red-hot with offers flooding in.

“If you are playing reserve team level you are not tested in men’s football,” said Redmond, son of former Wrexham man Paul Edwards,

“It is difficult and you’ll see a lot of lads coming out of the big teams struggle to walk straight into another club.

“You’ve got to go somewhere and get games in an attempt to prove yourself. I’ve got to do that now and I feel ready.”

Redmond heads into the new National League season with a body of work behind him, the 22-year-old playing 13 games in Salford’s successful promotion bid.

“It came out of nowhere,” said Redmond of the Salford switch.

“I went to meet the manager and pretty much went straight in, it was a good time for me.

“I’m hoping I can do the same thing at Wrexham now.”

And Redmond feels ready to show his very best form for the Reds after settling into life in the fifth-tier of English football.

“It was strange. The ball was in the air quite a lot,” said Redmond of the culture shock of the National League,

“I had to adapt to it and in fairness we tried to play, but just playing wasn’t the way to get out of the league last season.

“It adds another string to your bow and it was a good few months.

“You are always going to face different challenges depending on what team you are in and what team you face, so you can’t always just pass the ball about on the floor.

“Adapting is a big thing and I think I can do just that.”

Such is Redmond’s excitement at getting started with Wrexham - he’s even looking forward to pre-season training.

He said: “I didn’t really have a pre-season last year. I had a couple of weeks, but not the full whack, so I’m excited to see how it feels.

“You see how much you come along in those five weeks.

“The first couple of weeks are always hard, but after that it gets easier and you feel the benefits of the work you’ve done.

“It feels good to have finally got going.

“You are always apprehensive going into a new place, but the lads are decent and it will be good to get to know them a bit better.”