Forgotten Man Utd star warns Sir Jim Ratcliffe not to destroy "magical" Old Trafford

Forgotten Manchester United striker Federico Macheda is urging the club not to bulldoze Old Trafford and create a new stadium.

The Italian, who scored a famous last gasp winner at the ground to beat Aston Villa on his debut, is in agreement with the majority who think the ground is in need of upgrading.

But he says any decision that would see it flattened will mean a large part of the club’s soul and history is lost.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose 25 per cent purchase of the club is nearing completion, has plans to make United’s stadium the “Wembley of the north” according to reports.

He has already vowed to invest huge sums in improving the club’s infrastructure, although it remains unclear whether a new ground will be built from scratch or the existing stadium will be renovated.

Old Trafford remains the country’s biggest club arena but it has issues with leaking roofs, a problem with rodent infestation and last received a major upgrade more than a decade ago.

And in an interview with the Daily Mail, Macheda says: “I would be against destroying the stadium and building it somewhere else. I believe the structure and the history of the place should stay there, and then make some improvements.

“Even if you build next to it – and I’m sure they would make it an amazing stadium – it’s a place where all the fans enjoyed great games and memories. The first day I signed for Manchester United when I was a kid, walking inside the stadium gave me a special feeling. I’d never seen something like it. It’s magical.

“It’s not only the place where I scored the goal, it’s home for everybody who supports United. When I went back, it was the same. Obviously, it needs to be upgraded but the history of this club is also this stadium, Old Trafford.”

Macheda failed to make a sustained breakthrough under Sir Alex Ferguson at United and was sent out on loan to six different clubs before moving on in 2014.

Now 32, he has also played for Cardiff and Nottingham Forest but has spent recent years plying his trade in Turkey and Cyprus.

But it is his debut goal against Villa as a 17-year-old, ensuring United's charge to the 2008 Premier League remained on track, that will go down as the most iconic moment of his career.