Juan Sebastian Veron has revealed he regretted leaving Manchester United to join Chelsea. Reflecting on his tenure at Old Trafford, he acknowledged that while the club never insisted he depart, they offered him the chance and possibility to stay.
During Sir Alex Ferguson's time at Manchester United, player departures, especially to rivals, were rare. Instances like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo leaving for Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez's controversial move to Manchester in 2009 were exceptions.
Veron, signed by Roman Abramovich at Chelsea in 2003, left United after just two years, winning a Premier League title with 11 goals in 82 appearances. His 2001 arrival at Old Trafford set a £28.1 million British transfer record, but he struggled with settling, scoring only five goals in 40 matches during his debut season.
Following a Champions League semi-final defeat, Veron faced criticism from teammates, leading to a staunch defense by Ferguson in a press conference. Despite the support, the player admitted off-field issues affected his on-field performance.
Despite advice against it, Veron moved to Chelsea, a decision he later regretted. In 2019, he explained that during his time at Chelsea, he had limited playing time due to a major back injury that kept him out for almost six months. He mentioned considering a return to Italy instead of staying in England.
“With United, the truth is that there are few things, very few, that I regret. But one is to have left Manchester. They never pushed me or told me 'You have to go' but they gave me the chance, the possibility," Veron said, via Manchester Evening News.
“I had talks with my former colleagues at that time telling me that I had to stay. And at one moment I decided to leave because I wanted to play, because I didn't know... I should have stayed.”
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