'I was sacrificed to help Man Utd stars excel - I blame one person for failed transfer'

Wout suggested that tactics were to blame for his underwhelming goal tally at .

The towering Dutchman, who stands at 6ft 6ins, made a surprise move to Old Trafford from in January 2023, after a short loan period at Besiktas, aiming to fill the void left by . Weghorst struggled to find the net, scoring just twice in his six months with , with neither goal coming in the Premier League.

Despite this, he did taste silverware success, lifting the Carabao Cup and setting up in the final against . Although he bagged his sole major trophy at , Weghorst has now admitted that his goal drought was a result of Ten Hag's strategy, indicating he was often used more as a decoy to enhance the performance of his team-mates.

"They were super successful months in which we hardly lost," Weghorst said in December. "I was also very important for the team as both a focal point of play and the hard-working link between midfield and attack.

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"Only my goals were lagging behind. That gnawed at me and was the reason why I lost my starting place. The is by far the toughest league in the , with the best defenders. But we were rarely the dominant side creating chances. And the way we played was also different from what I was used to.

"In Germany and Turkey, the teams always played for me. I was the end of the line, while at United, I mainly had to ensure that others could excel. I think I managed that very well. But whichever way you look at it, I would have liked to score much more often."

Weghorst also spoke candidly about turning down a highly lucrative offer from Besiktas after a successful loan stint. He also recalled the moment he learned of United's interest following his impressive performances at the 2022 World Cup in , reports .

"Things went very well at Besiktas and I was enjoying myself immensely there," the marksman said. "One evening my agent Simon Cziommer called me. Simon said 'there are two clubs interested in you. First he told me a story about Brentford - and then he suddenly shouted 'Wout, United want you! 'I dropped the phone and burst into tears.

"My relationship with Besiktas' sporting director was very good and I explained to him that it was my boyhood dream to play for . He said he understood, but Besiktas kept coming up with more and more financial offers. I won't mention any amounts, but believe me when I say that I lost a lot to make the transfer possible."

The Dutch striker also recounted the overwhelming emotions he felt during his first visit to Old Trafford, saying: "I entered that magical stadium for the first time in my life and when I sat down in my seat, looked around and took in the chanting of the fans, it hit me hard.

"That was the moment when I realised this is my club now. Then I watched one of the greatest football matches on earth. Of course I had dreamed about this as a young boy. But to see it actually happen made me shiver."

Despite playing 31 times for United, Weghorst described his tenure at the club as bittersweet. He added: "There was zero adjustment time. The pressure was bizarre and the physical strain greater than I had ever experienced.

"Only in the last few months did I feel I was really comfortable in it. Then I became myself and dared to throw off the shyness. In the period before that, maybe I was too humble. But I will never forget my goal at Old Trafford against Real Betis. The fans were super crazy about me because they also saw that I was doing everything for it. I'm quite proud that I got this far."

Upon his departure from United in the summer of 2023, Weghorst expressed his gratitude towards the club and its supporters. Alongside a video montage of his time with the Red Devils, he said: "Dear Man United fans, thanks for everything. I really enjoyed every single second at this club, from winning silverware to scoring my first goal against Betis at Old Trafford.

"Dreams came true. Unbelievably proud to wear the badge. I wish you all the best for the future. Man United fans, thank you very much."

Weghorst has since returned to his native Netherlands to play for Ajax, following a loan spell at German side Hoffenheim.

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