Teden Mengi explains why he left Manchester United ahead of return with Luton Town

Teden Mengi admits his decision to leave Manchester United over the summer was driven by the desire to play regular first-team football.

Mengi returns to Old Trafford as a Luton Town player when United host the newly-promoted side this afternoon, having called time on a 15-year spell with his boyhood club. The defender only made two appearances for the first-team and was often sent out on loan.

The 21-year-old is enjoying life in the Premier League with Luton Town, playing six times as his side fight to avoid an instant return to the Championship. He insists it was a tough decision to leave United but the chance for regular football was not available there.

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“I was at United since the age of six, worked my way through the ranks and left recently,” Mengi told Sky Sports. “I called United home for a very very long time, they've been family for a very long time but I've moved on to take a different route in my career, try and get to where I want to get in my career and that was the decision to come to Luton.

“Just a different challenge that I didn't think I was getting at United. A chance to play in the first-team, to showcase what I know I'm capable of doing.

“No disrespect to Manchester United but that's just how it works sometimes. There's people in your position but after many conversations with the manager [Rob Edwards], we both felt it was the right decision for me to come here.”

He and Tahith Chong will both look to haunt their former side this afternoon and the latter got his first goal of the season in last weekend's 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool. Chong left United permanently