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Sanchez lifts lid on his Man Utd frustrations: I'd play 60 minutes then I wouldn't...
Sanchez lifts lid on his Man Utd frustrations: I'd play 60 minutes then I wouldn't play the next game
The Chile international forward has left Old Trafford for Inter on loan, with a spell in Serie A intended to help him rediscover a lost spark
Alexis Sanchez does not regret his decision to join Manchester United but suggested he became frustrated at not being selected regularly for the Red Devils.
The Chile international found himself struggling for form from the moment he completed a switch from Arsenal in the winter transfer window of 2018.
Despite being a proven performer in the Premier League, Sanchez found it difficult to make his mark in Manchester and saw questions asked of his value on a lucrative contract.
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Niggling knocks and an inability to adjust to the demands of his new surroundings have left the South American stuck on five goals in 45 appearances.
That return has led to United sanctioning a loan move to Serie A giants Inter , with the plan being for Sanchez to rediscover his spark in Italy before another call is made on his long-term future.
The 30-year-old forward told BBC Sport on the path his career has taken of late: "I'm very happy I went to Manchester United.
"I've always said that. It's the club that's won the most in England.
"When I went to Arsenal it was fantastic - I was happy there - but United were growing at the time, they were buying players to win something.
"I wanted to join them and win everything. I don't regret going there."
While remaining convinced that he made the right decision, Sanchez started just 31 of 77 possible outings for United and concedes that tactical tweaks left him frustrated at times.
He added: "I think that I'm happy when I play for my national team.
"I was happy at Manchester United too, but I've always said to my friends: I want to play.
"If they would let me play I'll do my best. Sometimes I'd play 60 minutes then I wouldn't play the next game - and I didn't know why."
Sanchez is yet to take in a competitive outing during the 2019-20 campaign, having returned to United over the summer nursing an injury picked up on Copa America duty.
He is adamant that he was ready for international duty, despite the lack of minutes under his belt, and is unsure as to why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided to completely overlook him during pre-season and the opening weeks of the new campaign.
Sanchez said: "I felt fine. I think I did well in the Copa America.
"After that, it [not playing any pre-season games] depended on the coach to let me play. You need to ask him this question, not me."
