Morgan Schneiderlin thankful to Jose Mourinho after Manchester United exit

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 14 January 2017

Morgan Schneiderlin acknowledges that swapping Manchester United for Everton was a big decision to make, but is happy to have been given the chance to move on.

Morgan Schneiderlin has insisted that it was an "easy decision" to join Everton after being given the green light to leave Manchester United by Jose Mourinho.

The 27-year-old had been underutilised at Old Trafford upon Mourinho's arrival in the summer, being restricted to just three substitute appearances from the bench in the Premier League.

Schneiderlin was wanted by a number of clubs, including both West Bromwich Albion and Everton, with the Frenchman grateful to his now-former boss for allowing him to leave Old Trafford in search of regular football.

"When I made the decision to leave, I knew the choice was important," he told Sky Sports News. "I knew a lot of clubs were interested. I spoke with a lot of managers but when Everton came I knew I had a platform because I knew the staff and it's a big club, too.

"It was an easy decision. You need to know what you want in life. Me, I want to play football and enjoy it. That's the most important thing, to play with a smile on my face and be able to play every weekend. I'm not the kind of player to sit on the bench and be happy.

"As soon as I saw I was not the first or second choice, I went to see the manager and told him face-to-face what I thought. We had a good discussion and I'm happy he understood."

Schneiderlin, who spent 18 months as a United player under Louis van Gaal and Mourinho, completed his move to the Toffees on Thursday in a deal worth an initial £20m.