Angel Gomes has revealed that he left Manchester United because he needed to 'find happiness' in his football.
Gomes progressed through the ranks at United's academy and made ten senior appearances for the club but left in the summer after he didn't sign a new contract.
The England U20 international subsequently signed for Lille and is currently on loan at Boavista, for whom he has three goals and four assists in five league games this season.
Although he admits that leaving United was an emotional experience, Gomes stated that it was important for him to pursue a different path.
Gomes, who can play as an attacking midfielder or out wide, 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.
Gomes made his debut for United as a 16 year old against Crystal Palace in 2016, but he found first-team opportunities difficult to come by last season, which had a major impact on him.
'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. It can be hard to show your emotions and you've got to just keep giving your all in training [even though you're not playing].
'But when you go home, deep down you know you're not quite the same as normal. I'm usually very bubbly and your family notice those little changes in you. I wanted to get back to where I was and find happiness in my football.'
United were reluctant to lose Gomes and the youngster will be determined to show that he made the right decision by leaving Old Trafford.
Gomes is capable of making a major impact with his creativity, and he will hope that he will be able to continue impressing for Boavista before making an impact for Lille next season.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com