The Swedish centre-back joins the Red Devils on a deal worth an initial £30.9m, and he has admitted that while he enjoyed his time in Portugal he didn’t think twice about taking the chance to join up with Jose Mourinho’s side.
United sign £40m Lindelof
“I was in Benfica for five years so for me to leave of course it was not a tough decision but a hard decision because I was happy there and I developed a lot as a player,” Lindelof told MUTV. “But when this opportunity came it was very easy to take it.
“It feels great, and I’m very, very happy to be here at this great club. I couldn’t be happier.”
The 22-year-old added that the chance to work with Mourinho himself was also a huge attraction.
“It feels great knowing that the coach wants you, so to finally be here makes me very happy,” he continued.
“I’ve spoken to him, and it was a good chat. It’s very important for me as well to hear what he has to say. Of course he’s a great coach, and for me to be able to work with him it’s a great opportunity for me.”
Lindelof has 12 caps for Sweden, and has gained a reputation at both club and international level for his assurance at the back.
“I think I’m quite a calm player, I like to have the ball at my feet. I think I’m quite good at reading the game and I think I give the players in front of me a sense of calm, they know I’m back there and I try to protect them as good as I can.”
While he is expected to form a centre-back partnership with Eric Bailly, his versatility has also been a selling point to United.
However, he insists that he believes the heart of defence to be his natural domain.
Lindelof a statement signing
“My position is a centre-back, but I’ve played right-back before and I started my footballing career as a midfielder. But I see myself as a central defender, I feel most comfortable there.
“There are some great players here in my position, but I’m here to do my best and try to help the team as good as I can. It’s always good to have other good players around you because when you have that you get better as well.
“I always had a dream to come here and to play in the Premier League, so it’s a dream come true. Everywhere you go you have to adapt to a new environment, but I feel comfortable in myself and I trust myself.
“Of course United is one of the biggest clubs in the world and you always want to win titles, so it’s also my goal that I want to come here and win titles. I think that’s the goal of the club and the other players as well.”
