Schneiderlin Admits Regret Over Hasty Man Utd Exit

Morgan Schneiderlin admitted his regret for ending his Manchester United career early, revealing he lost himself in his short stint at Old Trafford. The Frenchman spent seven years at Southampton and had established himself as one of the Premier League's best defensive midfielders during his time on the south coast.

His impressive performances saw him sign for the Red Devils in a £24million transfer in 2015, with Louis van Gaal keen to solve his side's midfield issues. Schneiderlin started 25 league games and played in 39 matches across all competitions in his debut season but never quite met the expectations that were placed upon him.

He would make only eight more appearances for the club before deciding that his time at Old Trafford was to come to an end. With Jose Mourinho replacing Van Gaal in the summer of 2016, the Frenchman was a bit-part player under the ex-Chelsea boss and requested to leave in the January transfer window of 2017.

Looking back on his decision to end his Manchester adventure, Schneiderlin, whose old sides United and Everton clash in pre-season today, admitted he was too hasty to leave in order to reunite with his former Saints boss , Ronald Koeman, at Goodison Park.

"I learned a lot from my departure from Manchester United ," the now 35-year-old told L’Equipe in 2022. "I had played 40 matches the previous season with Manchester. When I come back from the Euros, I take ten days off and I play very little for three, four months.

"Then, I have Ronald Koeman and Everton who are pushing hard to get me, every day, from October. I will remember it all my life: I should have played against Liverpool , starter, and the coach (Mourinho) comes to see me.

"He tells me he doesn’t feel me inside the group. I tell him that indeed, with what has happened in the last three months, I am not in it and I want to go to Everton. I regretted it very quickly.

"Even if it went very well at Everton, when you play for Manchester United, when you’re at a club like that, it’s not for a moment of doubt that you have to question everything. Look at Ander Herrera: the first year I arrived, he was on the bench; he persevered, and today he is at PSG ."

While he did win the FA Cup in his debut campaign - which was the first honour of his career - Schneiderlin admitted he struggled executing Van Gaal's instructions on the pitch which left him feeling like he lost himself as a player.

"I was too affected by what Louis van Gaal was asking from me," he explained. "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."

Schneiderlin spent three years with Everton and left in 2020 to return to his native France with Nice. After departing in 2023, he enjoyed brief stints in Australia , Turkey and Greece before retiring from the sport last year.

Ruben Amorim's side will take on the Toffees in their final fixture of the Premier League Summer Series on Sunday. The match - which takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta - will be broadcast on Sky Sports , with kick-off set to commence at 10pm UK time.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.