'I lost me as a player' - Morgan Schneiderlin opens up on Manchester United regrets

Former Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin claims he became a 'lost player' at Old Trafford, admitting that he was affected by the demands of then manager Louis van Gaal.

The Frenchman, who currently plays for Western Sydney, on loan from Nice, signed for United from Southampton in 2015 - arriving for a fee in the region of £25m. Schneiderlin signed a four-year contract with the option to extend it by a further year, with the midfield ace having played in League One, the Championship and the Premier League for the Saints.

Schneiderlin made a good start to life with the Reds, with United winning 10 of their opening 16 top-flight matches in the 2015/16 campaign - scoring his first goal for the club away at Everton. However, the midfielder believes he became 'lost' and felt 'restricted' in comparison to how he was able to play at Saint Mary's Stadium.

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He made 39 appearances in his debut campaign with United, but the Frenchman admits he was too 'affected' by the demands of Van Gal, who was in charge of the Reds at the time.

"I was too affected by what [manager] Louis van Gaal was asking from me," Schneiderlin told Daily Mail. "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."

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