Tosic regrets United departure
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Tosic regrets United departure
September 6, 2012
GettyImagesZoran Tosic: Struggled at Manchester UnitedBy ESPN Staff
Ex-Manchester United player Zoran Tosic has expressed a sense of regret at leaving the club too hastily after struggling to break into the first team.
Tosic, 25, arrived at Old Trafford from Partizan Belgrade in 2009 for £7 million with a big weight of expectation on his shoulders after impressing in the Serbian league.
However, United had plans to bed him into English football gently and he only made two appearances for the club during his first year before being sent out on loan to Cologne.
Frustrated with the situation, and after just 18 months in England, the Serbia international departed for CSKA Moscow. Tosic now admits he should have bided his time at the club and waited for an opportunity to arise.
"It all happened really quickly as I played for just 18 months with Partizan Belgrade," he told the Daily Record. "We won the league and the cup and there was a period when it seemed like I was scoring in every match.
"It was at that point I signed for Manchester United. It was such an exciting moment to go there and to meet Sir Alex (Ferguson). I had grown up as a United fan so to be working for the man who had brought so much success to the club was just unbelievable. However, there is a big difference between the Serbian and English league and when I arrived in Manchester I discovered I was not yet ready for that level.
"Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick and should have worked longer to show Sir Alex. I spoke with Sir Alex many times and he kept telling me I had quality and just had to keep working hard. But I wanted to play more games so went to Cologne in Germany on loan and had a great six months there.
"When I came back to Manchester I was expecting to play more games for United but it didn't happen. In the end I wasn't sure I was going to get the chance I felt I deserved so decided to change club. Even now I am always thinking about that moment. Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick and should have worked longer to show Sir Alex. Maybe I should have stayed and fought for my place. This was Man United after all."