I couldn't believe what Man United demanded after I joined - two stars showed how it's done

Former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian has explained the 'completely different world' he was opened up to when he joined the club in July 2015.

Darmian was brought to Old Trafford by Louis van Gaal and spent four years at the club racking up 92 appearances in the process. He would leave permanently in September 2019 to join Parma before eventually arriving at Inter where he remains to this day.

While his time at United is seen as largely forgettable, despite winning the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup at Old Trafford, Darmian has now admitted that his spell in the Premier League opened him up to a new aspect of football. "When I signed for Manchester United, I discovered that in England, during away games, family members don’t have a reserved section; they sit among the fans," he told Cronache di Spogliatoio.

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"The first match was the derby against Liverpool. I told my girlfriend: ‘Look, it’s a very intense match. Do you still want to come?’

"And she said: ‘Yes, of course, I really care.’ So, she got in the car with the steering wheel on the right and went into the away section.

"For a footballer, the English football culture brings less pressure. During the week, there’s less talk about football; the weekend and the experience of going to the stadium are more important."

While this was a culture shock, it was a mere footnote compared to the off-field duties that were expected of him - with the defender revealing the club demanding he open an Instagram account shortly after his arrival. "As soon as I arrived in Manchester, I discovered a completely new world," he