IT’S with a heavy heart he will wave goodbye to Old Trafford in the summer after 13 years but Wanderers are already showing Ben Amos there is life after Manchester United.

Life can be lonely as a goalkeeper at the best of times but never more so when you find yourself sliding down the pecking order behind the likes of David De Gea, Victor Valdes and Anders Lindergaard with little hope of a reprise.

Despite being told he would start the season as second-choice for the Reds, Amos found himself plugging away in the development squad at Salford, without a competitive game in more than a year before he pitched up as emergency cover for the injured Adam Bogdan back in January.

But since diving in at the deep end at Nottingham Forest – his first act to pick a penalty out of his own net – Amos has seized every second of his opportunity to showcase himself at Wanderers.

Now 24, enabling a free transfer this summer, the self-confessed United fanatic will sever ties with his boyhood club and could well become a regular sight at the Macron thanks to performances like the one which helped shut out Millwall on Saturday.

“I have to leave for my development,” he said, currently standing as United’s seventh longest-serving professional. “There’s no secrets about that.

“People will say I’ve waited too long and they’re probably right. But I’m just looking forwards now and wanting to enjoy my football like I am here at Bolton.

“If I’m being totally honest, the fact I’m a United fan might be the reason I hung around a bit longer than I should have done. But I don’t regret anything.

“I’ve given everything I can to make it there, learned something every day and pushed myself hard. But now I have to show there’s a future after United.”

Neil Lennon has publicly raised the prospect of signing Amos in the summer, with so many question marks still hanging over the future of his two first choice keepers Bogdan and Andy Lonergan.

As auditions go, the 24-year-old Macclesfield-born stopper could hardly have wished for better. Discounting his appearance off the bench at the City Ground, by which time the damage had been done, he has conceded only three goals in five games and no more than one in a single game.

But what of his chances of becoming a Bolton player next season?

“Right now I’m keeping my options open,” he said. “There’s no silly rush.

“I think Bolton is a great club, ex-Premier League, looking forward I’m sure the club has ambition to get back there.

“I won’t rule anything out but I want somewhere I have a realistic chance of playing. There are no guarantees anywhere, I know that, but I need to be playing football.

“I’ve extended here at Bolton for another month and I don’t know what the manager’s plans are but I’ll do my best.

“It was great to get a win against Millwall and a few good results in the next couple of games should give everyone some breathing space.”

Amos admits he knew his time at United was up when Louis van Gaal brought in experienced Spanish keeper Victor Valdes back in January.

“You could say that was the final nail in the coffin,” he said. “Pre-season, I was told I was number two. With the cup games, if I’d got a sniff of that, that would have made it worthwhile sticking around for.

“As soon as Victor was brought in, I was essentially demoted to fourth really. Fourth-choice goalkeeper, you’ve got to move on.”

United’s loss, it would seem, is Wanderers’ gain.