Former Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has admitted to being "surprised" by the way he was treated by Jose Mourinho earlier this season.
The 32-year-old was given limited chances to impress under Mourinho at Old Trafford, starting just one game and featuring a further three times overall from the bench in cup competitions.
Schweinsteiger finally gave up hope of winning over his manager last month and departed for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire, where he has made a positive early impression, but the World Cup winner insists that he has no hard feelings towards his former club.
"When everything happened in the pre-season with the manager, for me it was a test," he told Newsweek. "I wanted to play for United, I wanted to play at Old Trafford. It was always my goal. I was training individually. I remember Mourinho in November spoke to me and took me in the first team again and said I could train again.
"But I was looking forward to getting more minutes and to playing. I'm always a positive person. Of course I was surprised at how it was at the beginning of the season with the club and the manager. He apologised, as you know, and I think if we had met at a different time it would have been different, but it is how it is.
"I am now happy to be here in Chicago and I wish Manchester United all the best. I am always happy when they win, especially if they can reach the Champions League spots. But I'm focused now here on Fire. I won't forget the supporters of United and also the team and the players."
Mourinho confessed at the time of Schweinsteiger's exit that he 'regretted' the situation, with the former Bayern Munich man bowing out with 35 appearances for the club in his season-and-a-half there.
Daniel Lewis
