Colgate nickname and retirement anger - Inside Tyrell Malacia's Man United return after 517 days out

People who work closely with Tyrell Malacia sometimes refer to him as a world-famous toothpaste brand. 'Colgate', Malacia is known by those within his camp because that smile can light up a room.

But over the previous 517 days, there have been many when it hasn't been switched on. Malacia has been through some difficult times since he last appeared on a football pitch, playing 15 minutes for the Netherlands in their Nations League clash with Croatia on June 14, 2023.

That was the Manchester United full-back's last appearance before a 50-minute outing against Huddersfield at the John Smith's Stadium on Tuesday. From the Nations League to the EFL Trophy, it would have meant just as much to Malacia, who counted family members among the usual small crowd for these fixtures.

ALSO READ: Ruben Amorim meets Manchester United players at Carrington for the first time

ALSO READ: United's forgotten player just returned and will demand Ruben Amorim attention

It had been agreed he would play the first half against the League One side - earning an extra five minutes due to several stoppages - before being replaced by Harry Amass. His first club outing since May 2023 went well. Malacia was happy with his run out, and he will now return to Carrington and aim to catch the eye of Ruben Amorim.

Malacia had no nerves as he built up to such a significant day. He had 'been ready for a long time', as one source close to the player said. He returned to first-team training in September and has been handled carefully because of the severity of the knee injury he suffered and the fact it required two operations to sort out.

The 25-year-old also had to deal with fevered speculation about his future. When his comeback was delayed last season due to a setback and his social media activity ceased, there was a suggestion he would have to retire.

That was never on the agenda. Malacia remained in relatively positive spirits throughout and removed himself from social media to avoid theories about why he wasn't back in action. Friends would send him stories suggesting his career might be over, getting annoyed on his behalf and sometimes frustrating him at the same time.

Internally, his focus never deviated from getting back in action. In addition to family members, three medical staff members from United made the trip across the Pennines to support him. Head physio Jordan Reece, first-team physio David Binningsley, and head of physio and rehabilitation Ibrahim Karem sat in the stands, alongside first-team coach Darren Fletcher and technical director Jason Wilcox.

Like everyone going through a significant rehab period, Malacia is described as having "good days and bad days, but never grumpy days". Tuesday night was certainly a good one.

After 16 months out, he had to wait another five minutes to get his first touch, which came from a throw-in. He exchanged passes with Tommy Rowe, had a couple more touches in that move and he was away.

Malacia tended to stay back as United built play, aside from one charging drive down the left. There was an arrowed crossfield pass to Ethan Ennis, and he generally looked sharp for someone who hadn't played for so long.

He made his exit at the break as planned and will now train with the rest of the first team next week as preparations ramp up for Ruben Amorim's first game in charge at Ipswich Town. Malacia has yet to meet Amorim, but the new head coach was aware of the left-back's return to action.

He is returning to fitness at the same time as his left-back rival, Luke Shaw. Both are starting with a clean slate and will be desperate to get back to a position where they are available for Amorim. For now, Malacia is happy to be back, but his targets are already bigger than the EFL Trophy.