Angel Gomes admits he needed to leave Manchester United to 'find happiness in my football' despite love for club

ANGEL GOMES has claimed he still loves Manchester United but admitted he needed to leave the club to 'find happiness' in his football.

The 20-year-old ended his 14-year stay at Old Trafford back in July after talks over a new contract broke down.

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The England Under-20 midfielder had been with United since joining their academy at the age of six.

On his first-team debut back in 2017, he became the first player born this century to make a Premier League appearance.

But Gomes was restricted to just six first-team appearances last season and agreed a free-transfer switch to France with Lille.

The attacker has since been loaned out to Portuguese side Boavista – where he has already proved his worth with a stunning goal from the halfway line.

It’s such a special club but I just wanted to be able to play and express myself

Gomes has now lifted the lid on his United exit – and revealed he still holds the club in his heart but left for the sake of his own career.

He told The Independent: “It’s such a special club but I just wanted to be able to play and express myself.

“I was offered a great contract, I had all my family and friends around me, but I decided that I was willing to sacrifice that to pursue a different path.

“It’s hard to understand how difficult a decision that was. I’m still a United fan. I still watch every game now, whether it’s the first team or the U18s.

“I could have stayed and gone out on loan but it just felt like I needed a fresh start.”

He later added: “I had the right people around me and I stayed grounded, but when you hit a few lows it starts to build up on you.

“I wanted to get back to where I was and find happiness in my football.”

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