Former Manchester United academy prospect Joshua Bohui has accused Jose Mourinho of “unfair treatment” during his time at Old Trafford, with the Portuguese reported to the club over some of his comments.
A man now in charge of Tottenham spent two-and-a-half years with the Red Devils before being relieved of his duties in December 2018.
Mourinho faced accusations of ignoring home-grown talent for much of his time in Manchester, with similar criticism when it comes to promising youngsters having followed him around for much of his career.
Bohui says the door was firmly slammed in his face by an enigmatic coach, with the 20-year-old eventually taking the decision to snub two contract offers from United and head to the Eredivisie with NAC Breda instead.
He told the Manchester Evening News of his experiences prior to leaving for the Netherlands: “It was difficult because I was facing — I’m not going to say abuse — but some unfair treatment by the manager at the time.
“I was getting frustrated by the way he was treating me: some of the words he was using, I felt it was unnecessary and it was something I mentioned several times to the club.
“I rejected the offer[s] because I didn’t believe I was going to break into the first team with the way I was treated. They weren’t really looking at me.”
Bohui did travel with the Red Devils squad for their pre-season tour of the United States in the summer of 2018, but claims to have been given further indications there that he would not be getting competitive outings.
He added: “It was a great experience going on tour.
“You get to see what it’s like to actually be a first team player: the fanbase is incredible… so much of it is unbelievable and makes you grateful for all of this.
“But while I was out there, it was difficult for many of the youngsters to get some minutes — even on the tour.
“From then, it was a wake-up call that if you can’t even get minutes on pre-season tour to express yourself, then how is it possible to get any type of game time throughout the season?
“I didn’t think I had a chance.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has, after succeeding Mourinho, given more opportunities to home-grown talents.
Bohui is, however, not convinced that the likes of Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong will be able to fulfil their potential if they remain on the books at Old Trafford.
“It’s a tough one because they’re golden players for United,” he said.
“It’s a big step for them, but whether they move on or go out on loan, they need to play games. Unless there’s a clear pathway to play games at Man United — which is difficult — I’d say to go out on loan and learn the roots of football.
“Especially with Tahith, who is a similar player to me, direct and quick. Maybe a league like Holland would suit him: going out and playing 50, 60 games per season, that could work for him.
“But I’ll support them whatever decision they make, just like they supported me with my decision to come to Holland.”