‘I was leaving Chelsea a champion and I felt like I needed Manchester United on my CV. For me, United and Real Madrid are historically the two biggest clubs’ Red Devils hero on why he made the switch to Premier League rivals

Nemanja Matic has played for some of the biggest football clubs in Europe.

Matic was one of the young Chelsea signings who found their way out of the club by way of Vitesse but rejoined the Blues from Benfica to win a pair of Premier League titles.

His subsequent transfer to Manchester United surprised some fans of both clubs but it was a reunion with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho that was the driving force behind the move.

Nemanja Matic on his transfer from Chelsea to Manchester United

"Jose told me he wanted me to join Manchester United and that I needed a change, something new," Matic tells FourFourTwo. "Chelsea also thought they needed a new player in my position.

"They didn’t tell me that, but I had that feeling. United is a big club, a fantastic club, and to be honest, I felt like I needed to have United on my CV.

"I felt very honoured and privileged to represent them and, even today, I still think I made the right decision.

"For me, United and Real Madrid are historically the two biggest clubs."

Despite signing for the Red Devils in the troubled post-Ferguson era, Matic's time at Old Trafford served his legacy well. He played for United for five seasons and scored some spectacular goals from midfield before departing for Roma in 2022.

Matic, who also won both domestic cups as a Chelsea player and a Portuguese championship with Benfica, is still going strong at the age of 37.

The Serbian international midfielder swapped Rome for Rennes in 2023 before a switch to Lyon placed him in Europa League opposition to Man United last season. His response to Andre Onana's ill-judged comments before the tie spoke volumes.

Matic left Lyon in the summer transfer window to return to Serie A with Sassuolo, where he has linked up with club legend Domenico Berardi and is coached by World Cup winner Fabio Grosso.

Sassuolo aren't as consistent as they'd like to be but are pushing for a European place amid the congested top half of the Serie A table.

Along with Cesc Fabregas' Como and newly promoted Cremonese, Sassuolo are trying to disrupt the established order in Italian football. It seems like exactly the sort of challenge Matic would relish as he winds down his playing career.