Bastian Schweinsteiger believes Manchester United have enough quality within their squad to mount a serious challenge for major honours this season.
United improved under Louis van Gaal last season and finished fourth to qualify for the Champions League, but were still 17 points adrift of champions Chelsea. However, they have spent £80m this summer on new signings, including Schweinsteiger, and the German is excited for the new campaign.
“I have to say the quality is huge,” Schweinsteiger told the Manchester United website. “I am sure with this team, it is possible to win titles and after a week I can say that. We have a good defence, we have good defensive players, and we have quality players who can make the difference in high-level matches.
“There are some guys who will come later, so I think this team has a lot of possibilities and qualities.”
The World Cup winner is especially relishing the prospect of playing with Wayne Rooney this season. “Absolutely, for me it a big honour to play with him in the same team. He is a leader, you can see that. He is a fighter, he is a striker, he is everything. I know that. It was also a reason to come here, to play with this kind of player.”
Schweinsteiger played under Van Gaal at Bayern Munich between 2009-11 and the 30-year-old has previously credited the Dutchman for moving him from into a more central, deep-lying role. Ryan Giggs also made the same switch in the latter stages of his career and is now Van Gaal’s assistant manager at Old Trafford.
“Giggs is a legend,” said Schweinsteiger. “When we played two years ago, with Bayern against Manchester United, at half-time I asked for his jersey for my brother because he is a huge fan.”
How times change! @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/eIhQSSOAOL
— Basti Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) July 15, 2015
Schweinsteiger admitted that he had also previously sought out Paul Scholes’s shirt when he was a Bayern player. “I took his shirt on that occasion but that one was for me! It is at my house in Munich. Not in Manchester, because I do not have a home in Manchester yet!”
