'Things can go wrong' - Andreas Pereira gives rare insight into life at Manchester United academy

Andreas Pereira has admitted some players in Manchester United's academy struggle to progress due to the distraction of money.

Pereira joined the academy from PSV Eindhoven when he was 16 and he was given his senior debut from the bench by Louis van Gaal in August 2014 in the infamous 4-0 League Cup defeat against MK Dons.

The midfielder eventually progressed to become a part of the squad during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, but by the time he was permanently sold to Fulham last summer he'd had four loan spells away from Old Trafford.

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Pereira has excelled since his move to London and he's proven himself in the Premier League again under Marco Silva.

He recently spoke to Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad to reflect on his time at United and he gave an honest interview.

“I mainly owe that to my parents who raised me this way,” he said when asked about surviving the pitfalls at Old Trafford.

“Because things can quickly go wrong when you start earning money. During my time at Manchester United, at Lazio or with the national team, I sometimes saw that young guys had lost their way.

“You get your first salary and immediately buy a pair of nice shoes. That will later become something else and that can happen very quickly. My parents have always been critical of this and I am very grateful to them for that.

"Because before you know it you have lost everything that is important. And the most important thing is your family. That’s how I see it. I must add that the biggest stars are often the humblest guests.

"Wayne Rooney was the example in that respect: no allure at all, acting normally and working hard every day.”