Cleverley ´happy´ to leave United

Tom Cleverley said a change of scenery was just what he needed after joining Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United on deadline day.

Maligned midfielder Cleverley had become a scapegoat at Old Trafford last season as United finished seventh in the Premier League.

Cleverley did come out in pre-season determined to prove his doubters wrong, however the 24-year-old said he is happy to escape the negativity in Manchester.

“If any footballer gets a bit of stick off their own fans they are going to be hurt,” Cleverley said on Thursday. “Football is a game of opinions and you can’t please everyone.

“I am happy to get away from some of the negativity. Whenever you are not winning trophies at Man United the players are going to get some stick.”

Cleverley was a regular throughout United’s pre-season tour of the United States, even captaining the club against Roma.

Though, the England international soon found himself surplus to requirements by manager Louis van Gaal, not that he has any hard feelings.

“I wasn’t emotional or anything like that,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to say many goodbyes. It is something I had prepared myself for.

“Louis van Gaal was always straight with me. I had a fairly good pre-season where we won every game, but he has his own players.

“The manager made it fairly clear it wasn’t going to happen for me there.”