Angel Gomes explains why he left Manchester United and details emotional exit

Former Manchester United youngster Angel Gomes has admitted that he struggled to control his emotions after leaving the club's Carrington training base for the final time in June 2020.

After joining the club at the age of just six in 2006, the midfielder — now playing for French club Lille — left United after declining to put pen to paper on a new and improved contract offer. The club were determined to keep hold of the attacking-midfielder and former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had described him as a "top, top kid."

However, Gomes, made the tough decision to leave and pursue a new challenge, purely because he felt first-team opportunities at Old Trafford would prove hard to come by. Despite making his first-team debut in May 2017, stepping off the bench as a late substitute in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, Gomes only made 10 first-team appearances for the club before sealing his departure.

READ MORE: Frenkie de Jong gives fresh update on future amid Manchester United transfer interest

It became apparent that, despite his talent and potential, opportunities were going to be hard to come by for the now-21-year-old. So, he made the decision to not renew his contract at Old Trafford, becoming a free agent.

Throughout the summer of 2020 he was linked with a plethora of clubs, including Chelsea. However, it was Ligue 1 outfit Lille that won the race for his signature, landing him on a five-year deal.

"When people ask me how difficult it was to leave, I try to explain," Gomes told SPORTbible. "But I still don't think they reallyunderstand. I was literally in bits.

"As I was saying goodbye to the team, everything was fine. Obviously, I was a little emotional but as I was leaving the training ground, I ended up seeing