Manchester United have released midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to join Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire.
The 32-year-old is reported to have signed a one-year contract after United gave the green light on Monday. He will join Chicago Fire once he passes a medical and secures a visa.
“I am sad to leave so many friends at Manchester United,” he said in a video he posted on his Twitter account. “But I am grateful to the club for allowing me the chance to take up this challenge.”
“I have enjoyed working with the manager, players and staff but I have to reserve special thanks to the fans. I will always remember their energy and their passion,” he added.
Last year, Schweinsteiger had held talks with Chicago Fire but chose to stay at United. According to a report in the BBC, Chicago Fire approached the midfielder again.
Schweinsteiger was sidelined from United’s first team after manager Jose Mourinho took over last summer.
Last week, he trained with some junior members of the United squad while the first team prepared for their Europa League game against FC Rostov.
“In the locker room, he will be a huge example of a champion,” Chicago Fire manager Veljko Paunovic told The Chicago Tribune.
“He still is somebody that can show that on the field and [demonstrate] how our guys have to work, prepare, behave, think and work together in order to get to that level.”
Schweignsteiger, who led Germany to the World Cup title in 2014, played his first game for the club this season in an EFL Cup win over West Ham in November. He made three more appearances for the club even scoring a goal after coming on as a substitute against Saint-Etienne in the Europa League on February 22.
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