Morgan Schneiderlin admits he's still angry at himself for wasting his opportunity at Manchester United.
The Frenchman rose through the leagues whilst with Southampton and had blossomed as one of their leading lights in the Premier League. So much so that United came calling and signed the midfielder in the summer of 2015 as Louis van Gaal splashed the cash.
Schneiderlin arrived with a big reputation having excelled as a holding midfielder for the Saints, but was never able to make the grade at Old Trafford. A series of moves followed before he eventually headed to Australia, where he is now, but his Manchester frustrations very much still linger.
He confessed to the Daily Mail : "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."
Schneiderlin only spent 18 months in Manchester with his full season alongside Van Gaal, who led the Red Devils to fifth whilst also delivering an FA Cup. The Dutchman's style of play copped regular criticism with the well-travelled coach often defending his methods.
Van Gaal's tactics stifled some of United's players and led to the boring tag being slapped on his team. Schneiderlin was determined to implement what his manager asked of him, but looks back and feels as though he lost his own identity by doing so.
"I was too affected by what [manager] Louis van Gaal was asking from me. I lost me as a player," he claimed. "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."
