Davide Petrucci is a former player of Manchester United. He joined United's youth teams from Roma in 2008 and stayed at the Red Devils until 2014. The midfielder had the chance to train and play alongside some United legends, including Ferdinand, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Also, he had the chance to train and to work with a legend of the club like Sir Alex Ferguson.

In an exclusive interview with ManU Roundtable, we spoke with the Italian midfielder about his time at United, playing with those great players, training under Sir Alex, but also about today’s situation of the club, their instability, their recent change of coach from Amorim to Carrick, etc.

How would you describe your time at Manchester United, and what it was like playing for a club like United?

"My experience with Manchester United was something very beautiful, an experience that will always be inside my heart. It allowed me at such a young age to go to a new country and learn a new language, to learn a new culture, and to know and train with some of the best players in the world. That experience changed me as a player and person and allowed me to see things in another way, and I will always be grateful to that club."

How was it for you playing with players like Ferdinand, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo, and how were those from nearby?

"To play with players like Ferdinand, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo, it was something unbelievable for me, since until a few years ago I was seeing them on TV or PlayStation. It was a unique experience for me; they were incredible not only as players but also as human beings. They were great people and always ready to lend a hand. They always gave 100% on the pitch and tried their best for the team. This was very important for me because it helped me grow significantly, and I learned a great deal from them."

Another important player that you played with is Paul Pogba. How was it for you playing with him, and what do you think about his return on the pitch as a player of Monaco?

"With Paul Pogba, we have a wonderful relationship; we also lived together when he arrived at United for the first time. We were very young, and we grew up together, and we maintain that relationship nowadays. As soon as we can, we speak with each other. I am very happy for him and his return on the pitch as a player because he deserves it, and he is a great player. Sadly, the last couple of years haven’t been good for him, but I believe in him, in his professionalism, and I hope he will get back in the best shape possible."

How was it for you training and working with a coach like Sir Alex Ferguson, and how was from nearby?

"Having the opportunity for me as a young player to work and to be trained by a coach like Sir Alex Ferguson was something incredible for me and a unique experience. He is a top manager and also a top human being. Sir Alex had great charisma, and he was able to control everything with great elegance and discipline. He was very polite with everyone and treated everyone in the same way, and as soon as he understood that something was wrong, he would intervene right away. And he was the reason why, for those many years, Manchester United was at the highest level. He was an incredible manager, and he did it with all his passion and transmitted his energy, his passion, and desire to all the players."

As a former player of United, what do you think about their performances and results this season?

I think this season the performances of the team haven’t been stable; they have had ups and downs, and they are a little better than last season. But still, despite these little improvements, they aren’t at that level that a club like United should be, and I feel very sorry about this because Manchester United and its fans deserve to be in the highest levels possible, as we have got used to.

What is your opinion regarding the sacking of Amorim and Carrick as the new manager of Manchester United?

"Regarding the dismissal of Amorim, I don’t know what has happened in detail because you need to be inside the club to have a clear view of the situation, but I think there have been internal problems, organizational problems, and technical problems, and these problems have led the club to fire Ruben. I feel sorry for Amorim, but I am happy for Carrick because I had the opportunity to know him and train with him. I think that he is a great person and a very well-prepared coach. I think and hope that he will do well in charge of United, and I hope he can bring back the winning mentality that he had as a player."

Last but not least, what do you think about the major problems of United that the club isn’t as in the past?

"I think one of the key reasons is the absence of a person like Ferguson inside the structure of the club; he knew very well the structure of the club and every detail about it. Sir Alex always maintained the discipline inside the club, and everything was in the right place at the right moment. Another reason I think is the absence of the leaders and leadership on the team. When I was there, there were 7-8 players who had come from the academy of the club, mixed with some great players who had come from different clubs. And all of them had created a unity inside the dressing room and in the club. There was a history, a culture of unity and discipline, and all of us made everything in every moment to maintain the club at the highest level possible. Instead, today I see that things have changed, and there aren’t those leaders, and the young players now don’t understand the history and importance of the Manchester United shirt due to the absence of those leaders inside the dressing room and club."

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