Andreas Pereira left Manchester United to enjoy football again and 'feel loved'

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The 28-year-old midfielder shared insights into how legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson convinced him to join the Red Devils from Erik ten Hag’s PSV Eindhoven.

Pereira’s journey since leaving the North West in the summer of 2022 has been marked by loan stints at various clubs including Granada, Valencia, and Lazio, before returning to Brazil to play for Flamengo.

His successful stint in his homeland caught the attention of Premier League club Fulham, where he currently plies his trade.

The Brazilian midfielder opted to bypass discussions with Erik ten Hag, focusing instead on finalizing his departure.

Despite initial doubts surrounding his move, Pereira has proven his worth at Fulham under the guidance of manager Marco Silva, with the team exceeding expectations in the fiercely competitive English top-flight.

“Leaving United, you’re like, ‘Am I really going to do this? Am I sure?’ In the end, you’re never 100 per cent sure, really. Sometimes you think stay and have another go. Other times, you have to leave,” said Pereira on Vibe with Five.

“I wanted to play, after COVID, I wanted to play. I was going crazy, wanting to play in the Premier League. I wanted to show that I was good enough, I was very close to joining Everton and suddenly my father called me and said, ‘Andreas, you never played in Brazil, you’re Brazilian’.

“I was like, ‘Where do we go then?’ The president of Flamengo jokingly called my dad and said, ‘If he wants to come, he can come’.

“Everyone at United said, ‘You’re crazy, you’ll stay in Brazil, you’ll never come back to Europe’. Everyone in my family wanted me to come [to Brazil] but they were like, ‘No, what are you doing?’

“I wanted to play in Brazil and want to feel loved. I didn’t feel the love that I thought I should get. I wanted to feel loved by my own people, play close to my family and enjoy football.”