Morgan Schneiderlin turned out to be a disappointing signing for Manchester United. The French midfielder made just 47 appearances for the Red Devils before leaving for Everton less than two years later.
The former France international claims he became a ‘lost player’ at Old Trafford, admitting that he was affected by the demands of Louis van Gaal, who brought him to the club after a transfer from Southampton.
Schmiederlin currently plays for Western Sydney, on loan from Nice, but his transfer to United occurred in 2015. He signed a four year contract but didn’t last two years.
“I was too affected by what [manager] Louis van Gaal was asking from me,” Schneiderlin told Daily Mail. “I lost me as a player. It was not me on the field.
“It was not just the manager’s fault, it was my fault, too. My role was not the one I had at Southampton. I felt restricted in my game. I felt they wanted to change things in me. I was not thinking as me, I was thinking about what pleased the coach.
“When you reach that point, every pass you make, everything you do, you don’t play free. Something stopped me from being who I was. I wanted so much to do well and it is one of the most frustrating things ever.”
He also admitted that he joined United at the wrong time because the atmosphere wasn’t ‘great’ at the club.
He added: “It was a weird feeling at Manchester United. For me, it is the biggest club in the world, no doubt, but I joined at the wrong time.
“The training ground needed to be more modern and other things needed to change. You could feel the atmosphere at the club wasn’t great. I was very surprised, I was thinking, sometimes, ‘Come on, we are all playing for Manchester United, we should smile every day, of course there is high pressure but you need to be strong to play’.
“As a player, you always blame yourself and I know what went wrong with me. If you play for Manchester United, you have quality, I was full of dreams going there and didn’t expect things to go that way.”
Schneiderlin believes he could be still playing for United if things went his way.
“I know if I played to my full potential, with freedom, I would not be in Australia right now,” he said. “Maybe I would still be at Manchester United. When I signed, I wanted to be a legend there. That is why I am mad with myself and it will be hard until the end of my life.
“My friends ask, ‘Why are you saying this?’ But I know myself and what I can bring. I know this time at Manchester United affected me for the longest period in my career. I was so frustrated I couldn’t give what I wanted.”
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