Di Maria says one fight with Van Gaal was enough to ruin his Manchester United career

Angel Di Maria

The 31-year-old was booed by fans on his return to Old Trafford last week as PSG recorded a 2-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg win, after failing to live up to a high price tag during his time in Salford.

United forked out a then-British record £60 million fee in the summer of 2014 to bring the winger in from Real Madrid, but he lasted just one season before leaving for Paris.

Looking back on his time in the Premier League, where he scored three goals in 27 games, Di Maria explained that the root of his problems was an argument with manager Van Gaal.

“I was at Manchester and everything was fine with Van Gaal during the first two months,” he told ESPN Redes.

“After one fight, things weren't the same. The relationship wasn't the same.

“The fight with Van Gaal occurred because he was always showing me bad and negative things and all that held me back.

“One day I fought with him. I told him I didn't want to see those things anymore, that I was doing things well and asked him why he wasn't showing me good things.

“He didn't like how I spoke to him and from there the whole problem started.”

Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.