Schweinsteiger's message to Man United fans: I am ready 'if the team needs me'
Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has issued a statement to say Manchester United will be his "last club in Europe".
The 32-year-old former Germany international, who moved to Old Trafford in July 2015, has not featured this season under new United manager Jose Mourinho, with reports suggesting he has been made to train with the reserves.
But the World Cup winner took to Twitter on Wednesday to stress his commitment to the team.
A brief message to the amazing fans about my current situation. @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/Rf3jLKNwK4
— Bastian Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) August 24, 2016
"MUFC will be my last club in Europe," he posted. "I respect other clubs, but Manchester United was the only one which could make me leave Bayern Munich.
"I will be ready, if the team needs me.
"That is all I can say about the current situation. I want to thank the fans for the amazing support over the recent weeks."
Schweinsteiger signed a three-year deal when he joined United from Bayern 13 months ago, but scored just one goal in 31 appearances in all competitions last term.
And the summer signings of Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have led to him slipping down the pecking order.
Mourinho's treatment of the German prompted Dejan Stefanovic of world players' union FIFPro to say earlier this month that the Portuguese should be jailed for ''bullying''.
Press Association Sport understands the out-of-favour midfielder, who last month retired from international duty having won 120 caps and the 2014 World Cup, has attracted widespread interest, with English clubs among those keen to bring him in.
But the player has now ruled out such a switch, and indeed to elsewhere in Europe, leaving the likes of Major League Soccer in the United States or the lucrative Chinese Super League as possible future career options should he fail to win Mourinho around.
