New Aston Villa midfielder Tom Cleverley believes his time at Manchester United is over, having been told by manager Louis van Gaal that he was not in his plans.
The England midfielder completed a loan move to Villa Park from Manchester United at the end of the transfer window, and has admitted that he is thankful for a new start in his footballing career.
Cleverley came in for huge criticism while in the first team ranks at United - even from the club's own supporters. He insists that he is motivated to prove people wrong at his new club and get back into the international reckoning, according to the Telegraph.
The 25-year-old said: "I am happy to get away from some of the negativity that surrounded me at Manchester United. If any footballer gets a bit of stick off their own fans they are going to be hurt, but it has made me strong as a character.
"For as long as United aren’t winning trophies, players will get criticised, I’m fully aware of that. I’ve still got a league title and 13 England caps. You don’t turn into a bad player just because someone says it on Twitter.
“Football is a game of opinions, you can’t please everyone and the main opinion for me is the manager I am playing under. If you can please the fans at the same time that is a good season. I’d say I’m motivated to prove a few people wrong and hopefully that does increase my performances.”
Cleverley reflected on a tough season for Manchester United last year under David Moyes, but admitted that the 2013/14 campaign at Old Trafford will likely be his last. He has one year remaining on his United deal and he doesn't expect it to be renewed.
“If I’m honest I don’t think I’d play for the club again,” he said.
“The manager made it clear I was not going to play every week at United.
"It was a tough season for us last year. If all the players say they were high in confidence last season I think they would be lying. It wasn’t just me. It was the rest of the squad too, that rubs off on the fans, too.
“I’ve got away from the negativity of that and I’m now onto a new challenge which I can’t wait to get stuck into.
“[Leaving United] is not something I was scared of. I know in modern day football it’s rare that anyone plays for one club for the rest of their life like Giggsy or Scholesy. It’s been a big part of my life. Any footballer wants the best opportunity to play every week. It was common sense for me to try and get this move.”
Cleverley has seen the progression that now club mate Fabian Delph has made at Villa - given he has recently made his England debut - and is looking to use Delph's example to get his own international chances back on track.
He continued: “I feel it can be an upward curve to getting my career back on track. I want to improve Villa. Then I want to try and get back into the England squad like Fabian Delph has. There’s a lot of things I want to achieve here.
“Manchester United is in the past, my future is Aston Villa, that’s all I’m bothered about.”
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