I learned so much at Man United but had to leave for my career - now I am taking on Europe's best

Leaving Manchester United is never an easy decision.

The lure of Old Trafford, the history of the club and the possibility of what might come all offer the hope that ambition can be realised, particularly for young players. United promote from within as much as any other club in world football and regardless of whether the first team breakthrough comes in Manchester or elsewhere, the academy remains the perfect breeding ground.

For Maxi Oyedele, he took the decision to depart in the summer at 19 and take a leap of faith across Europe. The teenager swapped England for Poland and within a matter of months has been reaping the rewards.

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He joined Legia Warsaw and is getting senior experience both domestically and in Europe. His form and potential has earned him a call-up to the Polish national side with Salford-born Oyedele qualifying thanks to his Polish mother.

He made his international debut last week in a Nations League clash with Portugal which saw him reunited with ex-United teammate Bruno Fernandes, with the pair swapping shirts after the game and the Portugal star posting a good luck message on social media. Oyedele will hope to add a second cap against Croatia on Tuesday with positive performances potentially leading to a regular role and the chance to test himself against some of the best players in Europe as Poland move on to trying to reach the 2026 World Cup. For the midfielder the move away from United, where he featured in pre-season against Rangers, was a necessity for the next step of his career.

“Par