A former English football star, Philip Mulryne, has turned from the Premier League to the priesthood – and will tonight say his first Mass as a Catholic priest.

Mulryne once earned around £600,000 a year as a professional footballer for Manchester United, but on Saturday was ordained into the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church, according to Irish News. Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia, assistant secretary at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith visited from Rome to ordain Mulyrne at St Saviour's Church, Dublin.

Reflecting on Mulyrne's transition, Archbishop Di Noia said that the footballer's 'experience as an athlete has helped to prepare you for this moment: you have known the meaning of working hard to attain a goal, and now the goal is Christ'.

He told Mulyrne: 'You are to be raised to the Order of the Priesthood. For your part you will exercise the sacred duty of teaching in the name of Christ the Teacher, and in imitation of our blessed founder, St Dominic.

'Impart to everyone the word of God which you have received with joy. Meditating on the law of the Lord, see that you believe what you read, that you teach what you believe, and that you practise what you teach'.

Tonight, Mulyrne will celebrate his first Mass tonight in St Oliver Plunkett in Lenadoon, Belfast. He began his footballing career playing for the parish team of St Oliver Plunkett, before being spotted by a Manchester United scout at age 14. He joined United as a full-time professional in 1994.

He transferred to Norwich City in 1999, and in six years there played 135 matches. He also scored three goals in 27 matches when he played for Northern Ireland's national team, debuting in 1997.

Mulyrne retired in 2009, and turned to academic theology, philosophy and seminary training with several institutions. He has reportedly taken a vow of poverty in his vocation. After joining the Dominican Novitiate House in Cork in 2012, he was ordained a deacon in Ocotber 2016, and family and friends gathered for his priestly ordination at the weekend.

The former sports star will now serve at the Dominican priory at Newbridge in County Kildare, Ireland.