Germany’s head coach Joachim Low has revealed that Bastian Schweinsteiger gave all that he has got to get himself a place in the first team during his time at Manchester United, but it was just not to be.
Bastian Schweinsteiger joined Manchester United from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2015 and under the reign of Louis van Gaal, the World Cup-winner made 31 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions. However, Jose Mourinho’s arrival at the club in the next summer saw a dramatic change in fortunes for the German.
According to a report published by the Telegraph in August 2016, the Portuguese manager told Schweinsteiger that he does not figure in his plans and is free to find another club in the summer. More embarrassingly for the 32-year-old, who was hugely popular among the fans, Mourinho banished him from the first team dressing room, forcing him to train with the Manchester United’s U-23 side.
However, towards the end of 2016, Schweinsteiger was reinstated in the first team squad, and he made his first start in over a year in the 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth-round tie in January. But, what seemed like a revival of his United career, turned out to be just an anomaly. Having made just four appearances for his side so far this season, Schweinsteiger was forced to look elsewhere for regular first team football and on Tuesday, it was confirmed that midfielder has agreed to join MLS side Chicago Fire.
Speaking about Schweinsteiger’s time at Manchester United to Skysports, German head coach Joachim Low has revealed a discussion he has had with his side’s former captain “some weeks ago” where the midfielder has spoken about how hard he has tried to make his mark at United.
“He said that in training he has given everything he has got, he has shown the coach what he can do and for a while, there was some light on the horizon.
“But at the end of the day it seems like it was just not to be in Man Utd, so he has chosen to join a club in a big city, which he quite likes because big cities give him a certain degree of anonymity which he also enjoys.
“Like I said, he trained very well and sometimes the team themselves will have wished for him to help the team.
“I have seen some Man United games where they could have well done with a central midfielder, a kind of chief organizer in midfield, who puts things right.
“But the USA will give him a new experience and he certainly has my blessing,” Low was quoted as saying by Skysports.
In an emotion farewell statement on United’s official website, Schweinsteiger has fondly looked back at his time in England, and the FA Cup triumph under Louis van Gaal in his first season. However, the former German international, who retired from international football after the Euro 2016, is now excited about starting a new chapter in his life at the city of Chicago.
Image – Getty
