Pochettino says leaving United States job was one of his toughest decisions

Mauricio Pochettino has described his decision to leave the United States national team as one of the most difficult choices of his career after being appointed Manchester United manager.

Manchester United announced the appointment of Pochettino on Friday morning, with the Argentine replacing Michael Carrick.

Speaking at his first news conference, Pochettino said personal relationships had been central to his decision to move on.

“Human relationships come before everything else, which is why leaving the United States national team was an extremely difficult decision,” he said. “But we have to move forward.”

Pochettino also thanked those he worked with during his time in the United States, including the country’s people and the football federation.

“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, as well as the people, because you were always clear and honest,” he added. “You always put the federation’s interests first, while also making sure we were building something together. We really enjoyed the experience.”

He continued: “We learned a great deal from you, from everyone in this country and from these wonderful people.”

“I believe this was one of the most difficult decisions of my career,” Pochettino concluded.

Manchester United confirmed on their official website that Pochettino will begin work with the club on 18 November.

The club dismissed Carrick on Thursday, only a few months after appointing him as head coach on a contract running until 2029. His departure followed a downturn in Manchester United’s results during the current season.

Manchester United have not won in the Premier League since 30 August and have continued to drop points. After eight successive league games without a victory, they are 18th in the table.