Former Lazio coach Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Juan Sebastian Veron’s failure at Manchester United was partly down to the fact that he walked into a team full of top players and he struggled to become a leader at Old Trafford.
Manchester United paid a club-record fee to sign the Argentine midfielder from Lazio in 2001 and there was a palpable sense of excitement around his arrival at Old Trafford then.
Sir Alex Ferguson even defended the player furiously during his initial months at Manchester United, but 82 appearances later he was sold to Chelsea, in 2003.
Despite flashes of brilliance, Veron struggled to show any sustained period of form at Old Trafford and Eriksson, who managed him at Sampdoria and Lazio, feels the Argentine got lost amongst big players at Manchester United.
While he was the top man at Sampdoria and Lazio, the former England boss believes the midfielder struggled to become a leader amidst a team who were full of top players and personalities.
“I think it is a little bit important for Veron to feel he is the important player”, Eriksson told The Athletic.
“In Sampdoria, it was not a problem. It was not a problem either at Lazio because [Roberto] Mancini was not jealous of the other players who were leaders. Mancini and Veron and Sinisa Mihajlovic were all very good friends and there was no jealousy.
“Maybe, coming to United, it was difficult to be an important player. Everyone is an important player at Old Trafford but to be a leader.
“I don’t know if that’s the reason but I was very surprised that he did not have better success in England.”
Veron still left Manchester United as a Premier League champion when they won the league title in 2003.
