The French midfielder, who retired earlier this year, donned the red and white of Southampton once more to participate in a charity game on Sunday. Despite returning to St Mary’s three times as an opposition player before retiring, he admitted those occasions “never felt the same.”
Schneiderlin is undoubtedly a legend for the Saints, having played a pivotal role in their promotion from League One into the Premier League and subsequently helping them establish themselves in the top flight. It was during his tenure on the south coast that he realized his childhood dream of representing France in the World Cup.
Leaving Southampton was a tough decision for Schneiderlin. Reflecting on his career nearly a decade later, he explained his thought process for moving to Manchester United: “It was difficult. At that stage of my career, I wanted to give myself the opportunity to live my dreams. I played in the World Cup and I joined a club who would allow me to play in the Champions League and win trophies. I did that with Manchester United, I won some trophies, but it didn’t turn out how I wanted it to. Of course, when you look back, you ask ‘Should I have made another decision?’ I say I should live with no regrets. I was thinking at the time that it was the best decision, based on the size of the club. I am forever grateful to play for a club like this, but, you can say if I made a different decision, then god knows (what could have happened). I came here as a boy and I left as a man. I grew as much as a player as I did as a man. This club was like a second family to me. It means a lot. I will always be grateful.”
Schneiderlin has amassed countless fond memories throughout his playing career, including representing France 15 times and being called up for two major tournaments. While he secured a Europa League, FA Cup, and League Cup with Manchester United, a specific moment from his Saints days remains etched in his memory. Recalling the significant game, he said: “The promotion from League One into the Premier League was amazing. I will always remember this game against Coventry. Saints thrashed Coventry 4-0 on the final day of the season to seal promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt.”
Reflecting on his early Premier League days with Southampton, Schneiderlin attributed their perseverance and eventual 14th-place finish to the team spirit: “Going down to League One was very difficult. At that moment, the club kept me. That gave me the sense that they wanted to do something big. The feeling I had on the pitch after that game against Coventry was the best feeling I have ever had in my life. That was despite a difficult start to their return to the Premier League, not too dissimilar from the current Saints team. The team spirit helped us stay up in the first season. We had a very good team, we had qualities. We didn’t start the season very well but then we had a very good game here against Swansea. We were away with the gaffer for two or three days. We had confidence. Some of the players felt like they belonged in the Premier League. The turning point was when we brought in Pochettino. He was a big thing for us. He made us understand better. Nigel Adkins was a very good manager, but Pochettino made us even better players.”
Now exploring his post-playing career options, the 34-year-old is taking his coaching badges while also serving as a pundit for French TV. Schneiderlin expressed his decision not to play football, aside from a kickabout with his son: “I love watching football but I wanted to do something else. I’m doing a lot of things in football but I don’t play anymore. You need a break after – everyone has their own feeling. My feeling was that I wanted to do something else, other sports, other things. I wanted to forget touching the ball for a little bit. Passing my coaching badges is about giving myself a chance to be a manager and help players. I will make a choice, but right now, I’m trying to make myself better in every department. I want to understand management and coaching.”
