After 22 years at Old Trafford, he signed for Forest as a free agent following United’s promotion to the Premier League.
A promising loan spell at West Ham in 2020/21 had raised hopes for more playing time, but when that didn’t materialize, he decided it was time to move on.
“I was really dialled in and locked in at that time,” the 32-year-old, now with South Korean outfit FC Seoul, told The Independent.
“The way I played, when you come back to your home club, you’re expecting to play. Obviously, that didn’t happen.
“You get frustrated. My application in training each day was always 100 percent, you know.
“But you come to a certain time where you need to leave. The last day, I was crying on the way home… to leave was obviously emotional but it was what I needed to do.”