Marouane Fellaini has admitted that he cried when David Moyes was sacked as Manchester United manager and has offered a theory as to why he did not succeed in the role.
Moyes became United boss in July 2013 following Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year stint in charge of the club.
He ended an 11-year stay at Everton to join United on a six-year contract, but the switch did not work out for either party.
The Scot was sacked just 10 months later, having been criticised for his tactics, defeatist attitude and win ratio of 52 per cent across 51 games.
Fellaini followed Moyes over from Everton, joining in a £27.5million transfer, and became emblematic of the struggles during the early post-Ferguson years.
With Moyes now enjoying a renaissance in charge of West Ham and on the brink of reaching 1,000 games in management, Fellaini believes it is a good time to reassess his time at Old Trafford.
“I was sad for him when he was sacked because I know how much he wanted to succeed,” Fellaini told The Athletic .
“If you asked all the players at Everton what they think of Moyes, they’ll say how much of a nice person he is.
“He brought me to England, then signed me for Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I can never say anything bad about him.
“I’ve said this since the beginning… if you give Moyes time, he will make a team. I’ve watched West Ham a few times this season. They’ve become a side that’s difficult to beat.
“If I’m honest, I cried when I found out Moyes lost his job at Manchester United. I thought he was going to stay for a long time.
“It was a sad day. I went to his office to say goodbye, before he said bye to everyone. I told him, ‘Good luck’. But it was a difficult time for me.
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“Moyes is a top man, he has a big heart. That’s why maybe he didn’t succeed at Manchester United, because he’s too nice.
“He went to Spain, he went to Sunderland and then got the job at West Ham and saved them. Then they changed their manager but Moyes has shown what can happen when you let him build a team.”
Moyes struggled to find his feet again following his brief spell at Manchester United, with unsuccessful spells at Real Sociedad and Sunderland seeing his star fade.
But the 58-year-old has reminded everyone of his talents since re-joining West Ham for a second stint in 2019.
The Hammers are fourth in the Premier League this season and enjoying a fantastic time in the Europa League, where they have won all three of their ties heading into Thursday’s match against Genk.
Fellaini stayed at United for six years before joining Chinese Super League team Shandong Luneng in 2019.
