Manchester United have had a big clearout since Erik ten Hag arrived at the club.
The first-team squad is almost now completely different to that of when the Dutchman arrived – with a few exceptions such as Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire and more knocking around Old Trafford.
A new coach meant a new philosophy, meaning some of the club’s long-standing players departed.
One of these players was Nemanja Matic, who has since found a new lease of life away from Manchester United.
Nemanja Matic left Manchester United before Erik ten Hag arrived
The United midfielder announced that he will leave the club at the end of the 2021/22 season, just before the arrival of Erik ten Hag.
“After a great deal of thought, I have decided that this season will be my last with Manchester United. I have informed the board, the manager and the players of my decision,” Matic announced via Instagram.
“It has been a huge honour and a privilege to play for this great club. A big thank you to the fans for their unwavering support.
“I will now give everything until the end of the season to help my team-mates finish as strongly as possible.”
He officially departed in June 2022.
Nemanja Matic went to reunite with Jose Mourinho in Roma
Matic had a great relationship with Jose Mourinho, working under him at three clubs – so he decided to make it a fourth with a move to AS Roma.
The Serbian managed 35 games in the season at his new club, although he only started 16 of them. He also had an average of just 52 minutes a game.
This signified to many that the then 34-year-old may be on his last footballing legs. However, the resilient midfielder Matic is – he decided to try one more venture in Ligue 1.
Nemanja Matic has a new lease of life at Stade Rennais
Matic is quickly becoming one of Stade Rennais’ most important players.
The Serbian has started nine out of 10 matches in the league this season, averaging 81 minutes a game. A stark improvement.
He has also featured four times in the UEFA Europa League, a competition he knows all too well from his Manchester United days.
The biggest shock, however, is his remarkable 7.26 average rating – which makes him the second-highest-performing player in his side.
Look at some of his stats. They definitely back this up.
- 87% pass accuracy per game
- 79.2 touches per game
- 1 key pass per game
- 1.5 tackles per game
- 8.1 balls recovered per game
- 2.5 interceptions per game
Sourced from Sofa Score.
Matic has still got it. At 35 years of age, he’s still going strong. We wish him all the best for the rest of the season and hope he can continue his fine form for many more years.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/yRrk2Nh