Bastian Schweinsteiger brought 13 years in the Bayern Munich first team to an end when he joined Manchester United in 2015 – and he’s revealed that a bedside alarm clock played a part in his decision.
Schweinsteiger won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League during his time at Bayern, firmly establishing himself as a club legend, having also won the World Cup with Germany in 2014.
But he’d always liked the idea of playing for Manchester United one day – thanks to an affection that stretched back to childhood.
“When I was about 10 and playing football at home, I was wearing a Manchester United jersey,” Schweinsteiger said, during an interview for the latest issue of FourFourTwo.
“I also had an alarm clock that was Old Trafford and when you pressed it, it went ‘Glory, glory, Man United!’
“So I always said that if I ever left Bayern Munich, it would only be for Manchester United.”
Schweinsteiger faced the Red Devils twice during his time with Bayern. On the second occasion, he scored and then was sent off in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, which helped the German club reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2014.
But it was a fixture four years earlier that cemented his desire to play for Manchester United one day – in the second leg of a Champions League quarter-final, Bayern triumphed on away goals, on the way to the final against Inter.
“We faced Manchester United at Old Trafford, lost 3-2 but won on away goals, with Arjen Robben scoring a nice goal,” he said.
“When we left the field, all of the United supporters applauded us. That’s not normal in football. I really liked that.
“Owen Hargreaves also visited Bayern’s training facilities sometimes after he left and he said that it was nice to play abroad in a new culture, and you need to do it once in your life – that’s also what Franz Beckenbauer told me.
“I didn’t regret joining Manchester United at all – it was the right decision. Also, Louis van Gaal was the manager at Manchester United and I knew him, so that was a factor.”
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