Angel Di Maria has attacked Manchester United, accusing the club of being obsessed with the No.7 jersey.
The Argentine said he never cared about inheriting Manchester United’s iconic No.7 shirt when he joined the club.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 28: Angel di Maria of Manchester United poses with manager Louis van Gaal and his new shirt number ahead of a press conference to unveil him at Old Trafford on August 28, 2014 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
The No.7 jersey has been synonymous with a series of great players which includes Eric Cantona, David Beckham and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo.
Di Maria, a former Man United star who also played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, admits he failed to comprehend the significance of being handed the responsibility of taking the No.7 shirt himself.
I didn’t give a f*** about the Manchester United No.7,” Di Maria was quoted telling Libero on TyC Sports.
“At first they talked to me a lot about it… it was just a shirt.”
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Angel di Maria of Manchester United celebrates scoring their second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Manchester United at The King Power Stadium on September 21, 2014 in Leicester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
He added: “My problem at Manchester was the coach. Van Gaal was the worst of my career.
“I would score, assist, and the next day he would show me my misplaced passes.
“He displaced me from one day to the other, he didn’t like players being more than him.”
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 09: A dejected Angel di Maria of Manchester United walks off the pitch after receiving the red card from referee Michael Oliver during the FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on March 9, 2015 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Di Maria, 33, would make just 32 appearances during his solitary season in England and failed to live up to the hype which saw him handed the iconic No.7 shirt following his arrival.