Former Man Utd player teases return to club after being sold by Erik ten Hag
Published 19:18 15 Aug 2024 GMT+1
Former Man Utd player teases return to club after being sold by Erik ten Hag
The former Manchester United player has expressed an interest in heading back to Old Trafford.
Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless
A former Manchester United player has teased a return to Old Trafford after being offloaded by current manager Erik ten Hag.
United brought in two goalkeepers last season, with both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir joining.
David de Gea left on a free transfer after his contract was not renewed and spent a year on the sidelines before penning a recent deal with Fiorentina.
He wasn’t the only ‘keeper to move on though, with Matej Kovar leaving for Bayer Leverkusen.
The Czech Republic international signed a four-year deal, with Leverkusen paying United a fee of up to £7.7 million for his services.
Image: Getty
Image: Getty
Kovar joined United as a 17-year-old in January 2018 and was at the club for five years.
However, he did not make a senior appearance – instead spending time on loan at Swindon Town, Burton Albion and Sparta Prague.
He played 17 times for Leverkusen as they won the Bundesliga with a stunning undefeated season.
Kovar got plenty of gametime in the Europa League, making 12 appearances as Xabi Alonso’s side reached the final.
Image: Getty
Image: Getty
But while he is happy with the German champions, Kovar has expressed an interest in heading back to United one day.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to leave everything behind at that age: the country, my friends, my family,’” he reflected in an interview with Rheinische Post.
“But when Manchester United calls, you don’t have to think long. For me, a childhood dream came true. I had to take that chance.“I was there for five years, enjoyed the time, met a lot of great people and matured as a goalkeeper and a person. I’m grateful for the experiences.
“Of course, there were ups and downs, but they’re part of life. Maybe I’ll come back one day, that would be nice.”
Kovar is currently understudy to Lukas Hradecky, who will turn 35 in November and so an opening for the No.1 spot could be on the cards.Matej Kovar, a former Manchester United goalkeeper, has hinted at a possible return to Old Trafford after being sold by Erik ten Hag to Bayer Leverkusen. Kovar, who joined United in 2018, spent five years with the club but did not make any senior appearances. He was loaned out to Swindon Town, Burton Albion, and Sparta Prague before being transferred to Leverkusen for up to £7.7 million.
During his time at Leverkusen, Kovar played a significant role in their undefeated Bundesliga title-winning season and made 12 appearances in the Europa League. Although he is currently the understudy to Lukas Hradecky, Kovar expressed in an interview with *Rheinische Post* that returning to United one day would be “nice.” Reflecting on his time at United, Kovar spoke fondly of the experiences and personal growth he gained while at the club, leaving the door open for a potential future return.
