'I'm mad at myself for what happened at Man Utd – I wanted to be a legend there'

Morgan Schneiderlin revealed he is haunted by his Manchester United tenure and said he’ll regret it until the “end of his life”. The former French midfielder, 34, said he dreamt of becoming a club legend at Old Trafford but failed to make the grade during his forgetful 18-month spell there.

His rise began at Southampton, where after joining in 2008, he played a key role in back-to-back promotions for the Saints and later turned heads with his Premier League performances. This paved the way for a high-profile £27million transfer to United in July 2015, with Schneiderlin believing it was the start of the golden period of his career.

Despite being a regular pick for Louis van Gaal in his first season, Schneiderlin’s dreams crumbled when Jose Mourinho took the helm, reducing his playing time to just 147 minutes across the 2016/17 campaign. His faltering career saw him quit United for Everton in January 2017, before having stints at Nice, Western Sydney Wanderers, and finally A. E. Kifisia, before officially announcing his retirement last month.

Speaking to the Daily Mail last year, Schneiderlin said he still harbours deep regrets over his decision to leave the club in 2017, admitting he is “mad” at himself for not fighting for his place and not playing with the freedom he craved. “I know if I played to my full potential, with freedom, I would not be in Australia right now. 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. 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, who won the FA Cup and Europa League in Manchester, confessed that not reaching his full potential will haunt him forever: “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,” he said.

In total, Schneiderlin spent 12 years in English football. The bulk (seven years) was spent at Southampton, while a further three-and-and-half were spent at Everton following his United exit. His form for Southampton earned him a France call-up, and he made his debut for his country in 2014. He ended up earning 15 caps for France, all of which came between 2014 and 2015.