Man United: Anderson was a 'lazy party animal' says former coach

There will always be questions asked about Anderson’s Manchester United career.

The Brazilian midfielder was considered one of the brightest young talents in world football when he signed for the Red Devils in 2007.

A year later, he added Under-17 World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boy honours to his name.

Yet over the course of his eight years at Old Trafford, Anderson couldn’t build on his supreme talent and left in 2015 without leaving the sort of legacy that many thought he might.

There were highs, including his penalty in the 2008 Champions League final shoot-out against Chelsea, but the overwhelming feeling that comes when reflecting on Anderson’s time at United is one of disappointment.

Anderson might see it a different way. He did win four Premier League titles to go with the Champions League triumph, after all.

The midfielder’s popularity among his teammates helped him stay at the club for nearly a decade, despite the fact that it was clear to those inside the dressing room that Anderson lacked the professionalism to become a true great.

In his joint autobiography with his twin brother Fabio, former United right-back Rafael admitted Anderson could have been “the best in the world” – but that he loved McDonald’s too much.

And a former United coach has gone into more detail about why Anderson didn’t fulfil his potential in Manchester.

Mick Clegg worked closely with the players as United’s power-development coach. In an interview with The Athletic, Clegg called Anderson ‘lazy’ and a ‘party animal’, and reiterated what others have said about the midfielder – he had all the talent, but not the desire.

“You could never find a nicer person – he was popular with everyone – but he was a lazy bleeder,” Clegg said. “He