I wanted to be a legend at Man Utd but I was too affected by Van Gaal… I’m mad at myself
MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN has revealed his regret over his Manchester United career as he admitted he was “too affected” by former manager Louis van Gaal.
The midfielder now plays his football in Australia for Western Sydney Wanderers on loan from Nice.
He had long been tipped for a brilliant career after impressing during a promising seven-year stay at Southampton where he enjoyed his “happiest years”.
But a dream move to Manchester United would fall apart within 18 months and his career has not fully recovered since.
Now 32, Schneiderlin has opened up on where it went wrong.
He told the Mail: “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. I had a period after at Everton when I didn’t lose the fire, but I lost a little bit inside me, I am not going to hide that. I should have managed it better.
“You work so hard to be at the top, top level. A lot of people were telling me I would be one of the top players in the world. I had the gut feeling that I had everything to be a top player in the world. Not being able to reach that level will stay with me forever.”
The Frenchman said he partially blamed Van Gaal, who was his boss during his first season at Old Trafford before he was replaced by Jose Mourinho.
Schneiderlin added: “I was too affected by what [manager] Louis van Gaal was asking from me. I lost me as a player. It was not me on the field.
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“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.”
Schneiderlin’s arrival in Manchester came in the first few post-Sir Alex Ferguson years as the football giant struggled to find their footing after their legendary manager’s departure.
The midfielder would then move to Everton in 2017 where he did briefly recover form under Ronald Koeman before eventually moving to Nice in 2020.