Lakshay Khurana
On 13 July 2015, Manchester United completed the signing of the former Bayern Munich midfielder, Bastian Schweinsteiger on a three-year contract for a fee of £6.5 million. Manchester United had never before fielded a German in the first team; Markus Neumayr and Ron-Robert Zieler were at the club before him, but they never made it into the first team. His Premier League debut came on 8th August, as a 60th-minute substitute for Michael Carrick as the season began with a 1–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The German playmaker has praised Louis van Gaal following his exit from Manchester United but spoke of his excitement at the scene of working under Jose Mourinho.
Bastian Schweinsteiger had spent his entire career at Bayern Munich before last summer’s transfer, endured a unsatisfactory debut season in England, with his opportunities inadequate by two knee injuries since the turn of the year. The veteran midfielder hasn’t been able to prove his worth to the club and the fans, and will look forward to the next season in England under Jose Mourinho.
Basti can do wonders under a manger like Mourinho, who mostly plays defensive. The chance to play as the defensive midfielder is still present for the German international as the club still hasn’t been able to find their most prioritised defensive midfielder yet. Bastian Schweinsteiger will have more chances to show his worth, and what he has been doing that made him such an important player for his country and former club.
Prior to Van Gaal’s appointment at Bayern Munich in 2009, Schweinsteiger had mostly been used in a wide role at the club, and moving into a central position made a significant impact on the 31-year-old’s career. Since then, the German playmaker has been known for his key passes and tackles that affects the course of the game significantly. With Mourinho as the new manager at Old Trafford, Schweinsteiger will have a chance to play with a more dynamic role, giving the defense enough suppor while distributing his accurate passes forward.
Not that Louis Van Gaal ever underestimated Basti, but Jose Mourinho seems the kind of person who can bring the best out of players who can defend well. He did it with Michael Ballack at Stamford Bridge and can repeat it with the current maestro from Germany.
