Why Anthony Elanga felt he had to leave Man Utd for Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Anthony Elanga says he felt like he was "playing for the sake of playing" at Manchester United and had to leave in order to progress his career.

The 22-year-old scored his first Premier League goal for United on the final day of the 2020/21 season and was afforded more opportunities to play the following year, firstly by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then by interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

Erik ten Hag used Elanga more sparingly after taking over, affording him just 417 minutes of Premier League football compared to the 1,208 minutes he had clocked up during the 2021/22 campaign.

Linked with various moves away from Old Trafford, Elanga eventually put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Nottingham Forest, helping the Tricky Trees stave off relegation after they had returned to the top flight in 2022 after a 23-year absence.

Forest are now riding high in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo, sitting a handsome fourth in the table, and much of their success has come from the brilliance of Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elanga, who has been a livewire on the wing.

Speaking to The Athletic, Elanga has now admitted that he didn't feel he was actually improving as a footballer at Man Utd, which was one of the key reasons why he jumped at the opportunity to join Forest.

"I made the right decision, 100 per cent,” Elanga reflected. "I have not really spoken about this, but at the time at United, I was very young and I was coming into a team that was struggling. Yes, there was the thought that, ‘I am playing for Manchester United’. But I also never felt as though I was improving. I was playing for the sake of playing when I did get the odd opportunity off the bench.

Elanga was given his first team opportunity at Manchester United by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer / Chloe Knott - Danehouse/GettyImages

"Coming to Forest was so big for me, because suddenly I was regularly playing 90 minutes, while having the opportunity to improve. When I played, I felt like I had purpose; like I was playing and improving in the process. That was the biggest change for me.

"I feel as though I know the league inside-out now, because I have had the chance to learn. I have no regrets, because I am enjoying playing fantastic football with this team. We are in a really good place at the moment."

Elanga also explained Forest's mental resolve and determination to succeed - something that has been instilled by Nuno since he took over the managerial reins from Steve Cooper in December 2023.

"We do believe. That is our motto: to believe every time we step out on the pitch," Elanga revealed. "We want to keep that mentality. If we win a game, when we return to training his message is always the same: it was a good win, well done, but now on to the next one.

"That belief has been a core strength for us this season."