Andre Schurrle has blamed Jose Mourinho's intensely demanding approach to management as the reason he left Chelsea in 2015.
The 26-year-old German became Mourinho's first signing at Stamford Bridge since returning as Chelsea manager in 2013.
But Schurrle lasted just 18 months before being sold to Wolfsburg, and he has now spoken of the difficulty of life as a footballer playing under the new Manchester United manager.
"Chelsea was a dream for me," Schurrle told German newspaper Bild. "But after I was out for a few weeks through an infection, the coach unfortunately did not count on me much more often.
"Mourinho showed me how hard life can be as a footballer. If you had one bad game, you would be out of the team.
"My experience at Chelsea was great, playing with so many superstars–it was just like I had imagined it."
Schurrle moved on again this summer, joining Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.