Former Manchester United player, Nicky Butt has opened up on his time at Old Trafford and his reasons for leaving the club.
As reported in the Daily Mail, Butt spoke on leaving his boyhood club, once as a player and once as a coach.
Butt left United for Newcastle in the summer of 2004, in search of regular first-team football.
The midfield man says he realised he wasn’t quite at the level of a couple of his former teammates but enjoyed the challenge of playing with them.
“Scholes and Keane were better than me but I always played in the big games because we would play a three in midfield. So, I was okay. Not always dead happy but okay,” he said.
However, it was seeing other fringe members of the squad getting game time over him that really irked the Englishman, which played a key role in his tough decision to leave Old Trafford.
“I truly couldn’t stand players who were not as good as me playing instead of me. Kleberson, Djemba-Djemba. Just because they had been bought. I couldn’t have it so I left. But it was hard,” he said.
Butt then opened up on his decision to leave United for a second time, after coaching at youth levels for the club.
The former player returned as a reserve team coach in 2012, before graduating to academy head, and in 2019 was made head of first team development but soon realised the role wasn’t for him after reportedly clashing with football director John Murtough.
“I realised I couldn’t be there anymore. I could have stayed for 25 years and had a nice little job with my mouth shut but it’s not me,” he said.
The Treble winner says he still has a strong affection for the club and attended the Carabao Cup win last weekend, praising the players for their achievement.
“I was there with my son, It’s always amazing to win a cup, I don’t care what anybody says,” he said with a grin on his face.
Butt will always hold a special place in the heart of United fans after his never say day performances over a twelve year career at the club.
Butt is now co-owner of Salford City alongside other members of the Class of ’92 as they attempt to catapult the club to the Premier League.
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