Panathinaikos star Kiko Macheda admits he regrets leaving Manchester United for Sampdoria.

At United, the Italian eventually forced through a loan move to Sampdoria.

It was the beginning of the end of his time as a United player, and one he now admits was a mistake.

“I wouldn't make that decision again," Macheda told Goal. "I once said that going to Sampdoria was a mistake because it was a negative experience for me but it's part and parcel of a footballer's career.

“Sometimes you take a good, sometimes a bad decision. That one was a bad one. But it was a good lesson, which taught me a lot."

The Sampdoria spell was Macheda's first of five clubs he toured temporarily, before eventually departing United permanently for Cardiff in 2014.

He added: “In Manchester I grew up not only as a player but also as a man and I will always cherish those wonderful memories of my time playing for the biggest club in the world."