Schweinsteiger responds to Beckenbauer's skepticism, says he is ready for Premier League challenge
New Manchester United signing Bastian Schweinsteiger says he still has the quality to help land the Premier League Trophy at Old Trafford and insists that the Reds Devils will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit. The German captain did not regularly feature in Bayern Munich’s successful Bundesliga campaign which was marred by injuries and after winning the World Cup with the national side, there were signs of ageing and fatigue in his overall play.
The midfielder came in the line of fire from former German captain Franz Beckenbauer who criticised the player’s decision to move to England. He had said “I would advise him not to go to England. He can stay here as well. This challenge, at his age, it’s not what he needs.
Schweinsteiger will have to prove himself once again: Beckenbauer
“I would play one or two more years in Munich, at this high level. And then, if he still wants to and if he still feels like playing football is the thing, he can make a step back and maybe go to the USA,” as quoted by Skysports.
"I find it very brave to make a move like this at his age," Beckenbauer said. "People know Schweinsteiger at Bayern and know what he can do. That's not the case in England. He'll have to prove himself all over again.
"Basti is 30 years old. I wish him all the best and hope he can represent German football well in England. Not a lot of players have succeeded in doing so. A move to MLS would have made more sense for me." Der kaiser added.
Confident I can adjust to Premier League: Schweinsteiger
However the player believes otherwise and is confident to perform well at the club ."I'm confident I can adjust to the Premier League," Schweinsteiger said. "I am 30. It is a challenge for me, but I feel very good” he said, according to ESPN.
"I had last year the thing with my knee after the World Cup, which was very intensive for me and I had a break at October. From that time on I had no injury, I was fit and felt fit at the end. Of course sometimes when you are getting older you need a little more time for recovery, maybe half a day more than 20-year-old players, so that's normal” he added
"Now I feel great and I am ready to go. I want to make a positive impact and I think I can contribute a lot to the team. I think I have a lot of experience, especially of the big matches and that is an advantage always. I want to add my quality to United's game.
“When I see what we do in practice and the quality we have I am sure we have the chance to win titles. I am convinced about that."