Why Matteo Darmian thanked Manchester United after Inter Milan reached Champions League final

Inter Milan defender Matteo Darmian thinks his experience with Manchester United made him a better player and person.

Darmian, 33, started for Inter in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final win over AC Milan on Tuesday night and he helped his side keep a clean sheet which secured their progression to the final.

The Italian joined United in 2015 and spent four years at the club but he was widely regarded as below the level required.

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United signed Darmian for a fee of around £13m, although they recouped little of that when he departed for Parma in 2019.

The full-back has since signed for Inter Milan on a permanent deal and he'll now have the chance to play in a Champions League final, something which he feels each step in his career, including his time at United, has contributed to.

"I'm very happy tonight, the feeling is great because we've reached the final and it's not easy to reach," Darmian told Sky Sports.

"So we have to be happy and think about the next game and we'll prepare for the final. I have to say thank you to them [United] because if I'm the player and person that I am, it's also because of them. I just have to say thank you, but now I'm an Inter player and I give everything for Inter."

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