Morgan Schneiderlin has said he is aiming to overtake Manchester United with his new club Everton and that José Mourinho was reluctant to sanction his departure from Old Trafford.
The France international joined Everton for an initial £20m rising to £24m on Thursday having failed to secure a regular starting role at United. Schneiderlin admits he “didn’t arrive in the best time in Manchester United’s history” with criticism arising from a style of play under Louis van Gaal that “wasn’t very attractive”. Despite leaving Old Trafford on good terms, however, the 27-year-old is determined to overturn a nine-point deficit on his former club this season and eventually lead Everton into the Champions League.
“It is an honour to have played for Manchester United and it is on my CV,” Schneiderlin said. “Now I just want to have big ambition with Everton and overtake Manchester United, that is my aim. I believe Everton can reach the Champions League because they buy some good players in the transfer market. They have good project and the team that is already here – Lukaku, Barkley, Coleman, Gueye, Baines – is very good already. I think this team can do it for sure. You see Leicester winning the Premier League last year so of course we can do the Champions League.”
The former Southampton midfielder played only 11 minutes of Premier League football under Mourinho over three brief substitute appearances but insisted he had no issues with the United manager.
Schneiderlin explained: “It was his choice. He said he liked me as a player and as a person and that he had nothing to reproach me for but he had to make choices. He chose other ones than me and it is as simple as that. He liked me as a players and he wanted me to stay but he understood that I was frustrated.”
