Radamel Falcao has no regrets about joining Manchester United on loan, despite a difficult spell at Old Trafford that left him in tears. The Atletico Madrid legend's season in England produced just four goals in 29 appearances, a major disappointment for a striker who had been prolific in Spain.
Difficult Season at Old Trafford
Falcao joined United on loan in September 2014, a move criticised by Monaco head coach Leonardo Jardim, who felt the striker should have focused on getting fit for his parent club. As the campaign went on, Falcao found first-team football under Louis van Gaal harder to come by.
His mentor and former agent, Silvano Espindola, told AS Colombia: "I am not going to tell you that he feels happy because he isn't. We speak many times and we cry together. It is not an easy situation because every player wants to play and every goalscorer wants to score goals."
Scared of Under-21 Matches
Espindola revealed that Falcao, then 29, was left "scared" after being asked to play for United's under-21 side. He added: "He was a bit scared because these matches scare him, the matches with young teams and from the second or third division. In these matches, they are accustomed to fighting and going in hard. It was like this when he was injured in France, against a team from the fourth division."
On leaving United, Falcao endured another wasted season on loan at Chelsea before returning to French football, where he regained his scoring touch and fired Monaco to the league title in 2016/17 alongside a young Kylian Mbappe.
No Regrets
Despite the struggles, Falcao said after returning to Monaco: "I had the opportunity to play in the Premier League, and I did it. I have kept the positive things of that experience. I developed as a player but also as a man."
Falcao, now 40, is still playing for Colombian side Millonarios, having joined the club in 2024. He will be keeping an eye on proceedings when Atletico host United in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with United having made a winning start to their European campaign with a 4-0 win over Sabah, while Diego Simeone's side were beaten 2-1 at Liverpool.
