"I Felt a Real Lack of Affection" – Former Manchester United Star Criticizes Man United's Support for Young Players

Andreas Pereira, former Manchester United midfielder, recently opened up about his time at the club and how he feels they didn’t fully support their young players. Pereira joined United from PSV Eindhoven back in 2012 when he was just 16. After ten years and many ups and downs, he moved to Fulham in 2022, where he now plays on a four-year contract. Reflecting on his time at Old Trafford, Pereira shared some honest thoughts about his struggles to get regular playtime and the club’s approach to developing young talent.

Despite playing in 75 games for United, Pereira never quite managed to secure a regular spot in the starting lineup. Most of his appearances were scattered across various games, often coming in as a substitute. His busiest season with United was the 2019/20 season, impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, when he made 40 appearances in all competitions. However, even with that level of playtime, he felt he didn’t have the trust he needed to grow.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United’s manager from 2018 to 2021, gave Pereira the most chances to play, allowing him 56 appearances under his guidance. But for Pereira, this still wasn’t enough to feel truly valued. He recently told Premier League Brasil, “I think that, in certain signings, the club could have trusted more in the youth players. In me, Angel (Gomes), (Scott) McTominay, (Jesse) Lingard, these players. They even play well, but then, at the first opportunity the club gets, they discard them.”

After spending the 2021/22 season on loan with Flamengo in Brazil, Pereira made the choice to leave United for good, moving to Fulham. He has since played in 91 games for Fulham, scoring nine goals, and he’s been able to enjoy much more game time than he did at United. Playing regularly has helped him showcase his talents in ways he couldn’t before, and he wishes he’d had that same consistency during his time at United.

Looking back at his early years, Pereira’s first appearance for United’s first team was in a difficult match – a 4-0 loss to MK Dons in the League Cup in 2014. At the time, United’s manager was Louis van Gaal, and the club had many experienced midfielders. Pereira knew it wouldn’t be easy to break into the lineup with competition like Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay, and Bastian Schweinsteiger. He said, “I arrived in the first team with Van Gaal. It was very difficult for me to play because, at the time, there were (in midfield) (Wayne) Rooney, (Juan) Mata, (Angel) Di Maria, Memphis (Depay) had just arrived… I couldn’t play on the wing, or as a midfielder or as a defensive midfielder, because (Bastian) Schweinsteiger had just arrived too.”

Pereira admitted that he felt a lack of support from the club. “Definitely (there was a lack of affection from Manchester United). I spent a long time there, I arrived when I was 16 and left when I was 26. I really felt a bit of a lack of affection, of being able to play in my position and really show why I was at Manchester United,” he said.

Now, at Fulham, Pereira is getting the chance he felt he missed out on at United. “I would have liked to have had this opportunity that I am having now (at Fulham), to show my football,” he explained. “And I am sure if I had had the same opportunity there (at United), it would have been different.”

With Fulham, Pereira has found stability and the chance to play in his preferred position. His journey highlights the struggle many young players face at big clubs like United, where proving yourself is tough due to fierce competition.