Malaga striker Ruud van Nistelrooy still regrets the way he left Manchester United.

The Dutch legend was sold to Real Madrid without the chance to say goodbye to the fans.

"After the games we would always celebrate together and we made a point of going over to thank them for their support. My relationship with the fans was very special and that's why leaving in the way I did was, and still is, a real shame for me because I couldn't really say goodbye to them," he told Inside United.

"It was my only regret that it went like that and it's a shame that it happened, particularly for the fans as I saw the people at the club before I left but I never got a chance to properly say goodbye to the fans."