Hairy fan responds to claims he's profited from Manchester United's struggles

Frank Ilett is on the verge of enjoying the most needed haircut in the United Kingdom (Picture: Getty)

After 16 months and 495 days, the wait is nearly over for Manchester United superfan Frank Ilett and his underworked barber.

Few would have predicted interim manager Michael Carrick would have turned the ship around so quickly when he was drafted in to replace Ruben Amorim last month.

The former United midfielder has, however, had a transformative impact on United’s form and Ilett’s prospects of finally getting his haircut with the Red Devils strong favourites to win what would prove to be a fifth game in a row.

Confidence has been restored amongst a group of players who were bereft under Ruben Amorim and the slick, one-touch football now flows as freely and Ilett’s untamed locks.

What started out as a bit of light-hearted fun in the midst of the Premier League giants’ struggles under Erik tenHag has turned Illett into an internet viral sensation.

And while he has amassed a sizable following, it hasn’t all been a bed of roses for the 29-year-old who has been accused of profiting from United’s fall from grace and he was attacked by a fellow supporter during a recent game at the Theatre of Dreams.

Ilett concedes there have been several commercial benefits to his stunt, but it is far from being the lucrative, money-spinning life-changer it has been made out to be.

‘Im definitely not the millionaire that some people think I am,’ he told The Sun. ‘There’s been a lot of talk about making millions, but that isn’t the case.

@theunitedstrand Which haircut should I get? @Adobe #ad #haircut #hairstyles #adobefirefly ♬ original sound – TheUnitedStrand

‘It’s not as well paid as some people think. But that’s not why I started it in the first place.’

Aside from some unwanted attention and criticism, seeing has represented Ilett’s greatest challenge of the course of the last few months, in particular.

He said: ‘The real pain has been not being able to see properly. It’s actually lucky that I wear glasses because the frames kind of prop my fringe up a bit.

‘I can hardly see most of the time now. It needs to get gone.’

If United do chalk up another victory this evening, the clamour for Carrick to remain in charge beyond the end of the season will undoubtedly intensify.

‘If he continues with the results that we’re getting and even the football that we’re playing, of course he should be in that conversation,’ added Ilett.

‘I think Tuchel is still my top pick, he was the manager that I wanted before we signed Amorim. Carlo Ancelotti should be in that conversation, too.’

Carrick, himself, joked the long-awaited haircut will not be making it into his team talk as United head to east London this evening.

The former midfielder has not been keeping a close eye on the viral stunt but learned about ‘The United Strand’ through his children.

‘I can say I’m aware of it, yeah,’ Carrick said with a smile.