It's been a long journey to Old Trafford for Manchester United’s new £25million midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin. Not just from Alsace in eastern France where he was born, or from Strasbourg where he started his football career.

Having moved to Southampton in the summer of 2008 dreaming of the Premier League, Schneiderlin found himself slumming it in League One 12 months later. When he steps out for his Champions League debut with United against Bruges next Tuesday, it will be six years to the day since he played at Swindon in front of 11,000 fans – three days after a trip to Huddersfield.

Schneiderlin wouldn’t have it any other way, though. It is, he firmly believes, what has made him the player he is today.

Morgan Schneiderlin in action against Tottenham on the opening day of the Premier League season

Lining up at Old Trafford is a long way from League One, where he found himself six years ago in Southampton

While some of his old Saints teammates have struggled to reproduce their best form since leaving St Mary’s – Luke Shaw at United and Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana at Liverpool – the 25-year-old Frenchman is convinced he has arrived at the right place at the right time.

‘All my life, I have been working for this moment to happen,’ said Schneiderlin. ‘Before, I could have moved but I was not physically ready when I was younger. Now I am 25, with the experience I have behind me, it’s a good step up for me. There are new players, good players, a good club with a good structure. I can’t wait to show what I can do.

‘I went to Southampton when they were in the Championship and the target was to get in the Premier League – and they went down! That was the best thing to happen to me.

‘It toughened me up physically and mentally. Going into League One could have made me sad or worried about my future. But I was strong mentally and I was surrounded by good people who made me understand how I had to get better. I’m really grateful for that.

Schneiderlin (right with Memphis Depay) appeared at a launch for United's new partnership with Marathonbet alongside (from left) Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Carrick, the company's head of sponsorship sales Tom Hill, CEO Stan Reoutt on Tuesday at Old Trafford

Schneiderlin says he's done more media in a month at United than in eight years at the Saints

‘I grew up with the club at Southampton. I learned a lot in my League One and Championship days, and it was the best thing for me to grow with the club. I am a better player than I was a few years ago and I’m ready for Manchester.’

Schneiderlin made his United debut in front of more than 75,000 fans against Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday, alongside the club’s other new signings Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian and Sergio Romero, but remains unfazed by the new challenge.

Speaking at the launch of United’s partnership with Marathonbet at Old Trafford, he said: ‘In four weeks in Manchester I have done more media and commercial activities than I did in eight years at Southampton! It makes you realise straightaway how big it is. It’s nice. It’s part of the job to be a football player.

Schneiderlin made his United debut in front of more than 75,000 Old Trafford fans on Saturday

Schneiderlin tried to put the impressive crowd out of his mind on his debut for Manchester United

‘Of course, you play in front of more fans but, after that, it is a football game. In a football game the size of the pitch stays the same, it’s as simple as that. There is more expectation on you, more focus on your performance, but it doesn’t scare me.

‘My debut was a special moment. I tried to put it out of my mind. I needed to be focused on the game, to have a good performance. The team performance wasn’t the best, we know that. We know we can still progress and will progress. The most important thing was a win to start with, so it was probably the perfect result.’

Schneiderlin is determined to learn from his midfield partner Schweinsteiger, a World Cup and Champions League winner, who ended his 17-year association with Bayern Munich to join United in a £14.4m deal last month.

He added: ‘Bastian is a guy who has won everything in his life, I don’t have to present him to you. We speak on a daily basis, like any normal players would.

‘I think we all look at him and want to learn something from him because he won everything. We’re all very happy to have his character at the club. I respect him and I want to improve.

‘He is such a good player but it is not only him in the squad, there are a lot of good players who can play, a lot of players who can play this role. It is up to us to always give the best in training and learn from each other.’

Schneiderlin is determined to learn all he can from his decorated midfield partner Bastian Schweinsteiger