Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell has explained leaving Manchester United in 2016.

The midfielder is now at Blackburn Rovers after a spell with Oxford - and has been a success at both clubs.

He spoke to Rovers' official site about why he left Old Trafford: “I joined when I was five or six, and went right through and ended up leaving when I was 21.

"I had some ups and downs during that time, I left home when I was 12 to move into digs, I moved schools and then it came to a point when I felt it was the right time to leave.

“There was interest from a few clubs to be fair. It was a matter of going round and looking.

“I knew the manager of Oxford at the time, Michael Appleton, who had links with United.

“And from the first time I met him, I felt it was probably the right place for me to go and try to develop.

“He said that he would allow me to use Oxford as a stepping stone in a way."