Forgotten MU wonderkid says he was 'disrespected' by manager after X-rated blast

Big things were expected of midfielder Zidane Iqbal during his time at Manchester United only for the youngster to be sold for a low fee under the watch of former boss Erik ten Hag

Ex- Manchester United starlet Zidane Iqbal has opened up on feeling ‘disrespected’ by former boss Erik ten Hag - eventually leading to his exit from Old Trafford. Having joined the club as a nine-year-old, the midfielder worked his way up through the ranks with the Red Devils.

He found himself on the edge of first-team football in 2021, eventually making his first-team debut against Young Boys in the Champions League. But that was as good as it got for Iqbal, who was eventually sold to Dutch side Utrecht in the summer of 2023.

And he has now opened up on his decision to leave having been effectively cast aside by then boss Ten Hag. Speaking to The National, the 22-year-old said: “I just wanted 10 minutes off a bench to show myself and it really frustrated me that the gaffer didn’t seem to rate me enough to give me a chance to show if I could sink or swim.

“I spoke to my dad and agent and said: ‘I can’t do this for another year’. From the outside, it looked amazing to all my friends because I was training and travelling with United’s first team. For me, it was mentally tough because I was just training and not allowed to play with the under-23s. I thought to myself, ‘I’m just like a number’.”

Iqbal was hopeful that he would be afforded an opportunity to play against Charlton Athletic in the League Cup, only for Ten Hag to dismiss him once again - and that’s when he realised he needed to leave.

He added: “Then I got to the stadium, looked at the whiteboard and didn’t see my name. I was gutted. Then I thought I’d come off the bench. Nothing. That was the turning point for me. I didn’t feel the manager respected me enough to play me.”

And having seen a number of promising youngsters look for opportunities abroad, Iqbal had no hesitation at leaving, especially after Ten Hag had asked him not to play at the under-19 World Cup.

Iqbal said: “The manager [Ten Hag] listened and then told me he didn’t want me to go to the tournament. He said it was the end of the season; we had injuries and needed training numbers, too. He told me to stay patient. So I did. I was sure I’d play some minutes and become the first Iraqi player in the Premier League.

“It didn’t happen, not even in the last games when there was little to play for. My best friend, Ali Al Hamadi of Ipswich, became the first Iraqi player, so I’m happy it’s him.

“But I told my agent that I needed to move. I’d done everything that was asked and didn’t get a chance. I saw that Jadon Sancho had moved abroad from Man City, Paul Pogba from Man United. I was happy to try and take a similar route.”

Iqbal’s talks with Ten Hag were not just limited to a transfer request. The Dutchman was also spotted letting his fury with the youngster be known as he slammed him as “f***ing rubbish” during a training session.