“I should have stayed…” – Ex-Manchester United midfielder admits Old Trafford exit was a mistake

Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron has claimed that leaving Old Trafford in 2003 was a mistake.

Manchester United signed Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio in the summer of 2001 but the move never seemed to really work out.

The Argentine midfielder didn’t seem to suit the team, with the likes of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane being regulars in the engine room under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson tried using a three-man midfield with Veron in the team but it didn’t quite work out seamlessly due to the familiarity with the 4-4-2 shape beforehand.

Perhaps things could have ended up differently had Veron remained at the club, but he decided to leave in the summer of 2003 to Chelsea, where things didn’t work out for him either.

Veron’s career in the Premier League is unfortunately easily forgettable despite his undeniable quality and he now reflects on leaving United as a “mistake” in his career.

The ex-midfielder explained that he was never pushed out by Ferguson or the club, but decided to depart due to his desire to play, something that he regrets in hindsight.

“At Chelsea, the reality is that I had very little time. I had a major back injury and I was out for practically six months,” said Veron while speaking to the Manchester Evening News.

“I was already thinking more about going back to Italy than staying there in England.

“With United, the truth is that there are few things, very few, that I regret. But one is to have left Manchester.

“They never pushed me or told me ‘you have to go’, but they gave me the chance, the possibility.

“I had talks with my former colleagues at that time telling me that I had to stay. And at one moment I decided to leave because I wanted to play, because I didn’t know… I should have stayed.”

Veron ended up playing 82 games and won one Premier League title for United during his time at Old Trafford but must feel that he could have been much more successful in England under Ferguson.

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