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Morgan Schneiderlin claims he has the mental strength to succeed at Manchester United.

Schneiderlin’s old Southampton pal Luke Shaw struggled in his first season at United, while former Saints Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Rickie Lambert also had problems at Liverpool.

But the France midfielder is confident he can buck this trend after quitting Southampton for the Old Trafford giants in a £27million move, because of his tough upbringing as a teenager with Saints down in League One.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “All my life, I have been working for this moment to happen.

“I could have gone before, but I was not physically ready when I was younger. But now, at 25 and with all the experience I have behind me, it’s a good step for me.

(Image: Reuters)

“Of course, it’s different here and you play with more fans, but after that, it’s a football game. Of course there is more expectation on you, more focus on your performance, but that doesn’t scare me.

“I know that I’m playing with good players, that I’m at a good club with a good structure. I can’t wait to show what I can do.”

Schneiderlin, now 25, learnt his trade in the unforgiving world of the third-tier and the Championship after moving from French club Strasbourg in 2008 before blossoming on the Premier League stage, and says it was a great football education.

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“For me, that was the best thing to happen to me,” he said. “It toughened me up physically and mentally.

“Going into League One at 19 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.”

Meanwhile, Peter Schmeichel has urged United to end the saga over David De Gea’s future by selling him to Real Madrid if he does not want to stay at Old Trafford.

(Image: Michael Regan)

“If the player is not happy, the player, his agent and the club that wants him should have sorted this out a long, long time ago,” the United great told talkSPORT.

“It’s sad that it’s dragged into the season. But if he wants to go, let him go and let Manchester United move on.”

* Morgan Schneiderlin was speaking at the launch of Marathonbet, Manchester United’s official sports betting Partner. To mark the event, Marathonbet is offering a £30 matched bet to all new customers before the end of August.