The pressure of playing for Manchester United has proven too much for plenty of players over the years.
There has been a frustrating trend over the last decade for Manchester United fans where players have often left Old Trafford and thrived.
For example, Scott McTominay has become a Napoli hero and a Serie A champion in his first year after making a £25 million exit from Old Trafford last summer.
Antony starred at Real Betis after being widely considered as a flop at United. Even dating further back, big-name signings like Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford.
Countless players have cracked under the pressure of playing for United, and former academy star Angel Gomes has now given his thoughts on why.
Former Manchester United academy graduate Angel Gomes.
Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images
Angel Gomes explains why players flop at Man United
During his days at Carrington, Gomes was considered one of United’s brightest talents, but after a lack of first-team opportunities he headed for the exit in 2020.
Five years on, Gomes has joined Mason Greenwood at Marseille and is challenging for a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England setup.
But his career at United never truly got going. Speaking to BBC, Gomes discussed why so many players find life difficult at Old Trafford.
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“Players may have been intimidated or not really known about the weight, what it carries and what it takes,” Gomes said.
“But ultimately, sometimes, it’s down to environment, timing and having the right things in place to help you.
“Some players who have left and gone on to do better than when they were at United, there might be things in place at that certain club, at that moment in time, that helped them succeed.
“Sometimes it’s not as black and white as they failed or they’ve not held their own there because of the weight of the shirt.”
Angel Gomes was heavily linked with Man United return
It was no secret that Gomes was leaving Lille this summer. His contract was expiring and the former United star was considering his options as a free agent.
As he weighed up his options, reports claimed United were interested in re-signing Gomes this summer to strengthen Amorim’s midfield.
Gomes was spotted training in Manchester with former teammate Jesse Lingard, and a move back to the Premier League looked to be on the cards.
READ MORE: Former Man Utd talent told he wasn’t ‘right fit’ for Jose Mourinho, player revealed true reaction to Old Trafford exit
However, United played down interest in Gomes as the summer window approached.
Despite as many as five Premier League clubs wanting Gomes to sign for them this summer, he decided to stay in France and sign with Marseille.