Andreas Pereira has singled out the most disappointing player he encountered during his tenure at Manchester United and also disclosed that he never felt a sense of belonging with the Red Devils.
During his 11-year stint at Manchester United, the Brazilian international played with numerous notable figures but was unable to secure a permanent spot in the starting eleven at Old Trafford.
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After a series of loan spells at Granada, Valencia, Lazio, and Flamengo, Pereira finally made a definitive move to Fulham in 2022, where he has become a regular on the pitch.
Reflecting on his journey at Manchester United, Pereira has shared his perspective on the challenges that even elite players may face when joining the Red Devils.
He pointed to Angel Di Maria as an example of a high-caliber player who didn’t make a lasting impact at Old Trafford and confessed to feeling unappreciated during his time at the club.
He told Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel FIVE: “For me, Angel Di Maria. From the first session, he was unbelievable. He arrived from the Champions League final, being the best player, after the first session everyone said we would win the league.
“This guy was amazing. The Leicester goal… When he did the dink and the heart (celebration) after… Then you know what happened. It was crazy. He didn’t adapt. Then the thing happened with this family. I was thinking, ‘How can this kind of player not play at United?’ – so the pressure is there.”
Pereira further discussed his choice to depart from Manchester United, initially joining Flamengo on loan, which ultimately led to a full transfer to Fulham.
He said: “I said let’s go to Flamengo. Everyone at United said I was crazy, that I would stay in Brazil and I would never come back to Europe. [But] I wanted to play in Brazil,” he added.
“I wanted to feel loved. I didn’t feel the love I thought I should get. I wanted to feel the love, from my own people, be close to my family and enjoy my football.”
Di Maria isn’t the only high-profile player to underperform at Old Trafford in the past few years.
Despite significant investments in marquee players, Manchester United’s current talents like Antony and Jadon Sancho haven’t lived up to expectations at Old Trafford, leading to speculation about their potential departures in the upcoming summer transfer window.
