Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been snubbed by Matteo Darmian after moving the Italian out of Manchester United, with the defender choosing to refer to Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal as “great coaches” when reflecting on his time in England.
The 29-year-old full-back has completed a return to his homeland at Parma after four years at Old Trafford.
Darmian saw much change during his time with United, having been signed by Van Gaal and collected more major silverware with Mourinho at the helm.
He struggled to nail down a regular role under any of his bosses, with only three outings seen under Solskjaer.
Having now been offloaded by the Red Devils, Darmian has overlooked his most recent coach when taking a look back on a spell in Manchester which delivered 92 appearances and one goal.
“Van Gaal and Mourinho are two great coaches, they have won a lot, you know them,” Darmian said at his official unveiling at Parma.
“They are two great coaches who have left me something positive and I thank them.”
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While Darmian may not have figured as prominently for United as he would have liked, with his debut campaign in 2015-16 proving to be his most productive, he has no regrets at having made a move from Torino.
He added: “The choice to go to England at the time was easy.
“Playing for such an important club was a source of pride and a great responsibility for me, because wearing a glorious shirt always gives great responsibility.
“It was an experience that I would do again, very important for my career, I went to confront myself with a different culture and football, and it certainly made me grow both on and off the field.
“The first two years I played more, then the last year-and-a-half I played less but my desire to play pushed me to leave Manchester.”
Darmian is now looking forward to reacquainting himself with Serie A, with there a belief on his part that his qualities are well suited to life in the Italian top-flight.
“Between the English and Italian championships, the English league is more physical and less tactical,” he said.
“When I had the opportunity to play in the past, I always looked after the tactical aspect in Italy and I don't think much has changed.”
