Bastian Schweinsteiger is still overlooking the issue Manchester United teammates had with him

The story of Manchester United AD (after dominance) is so biblical revisionism is rife and recent periods of the club's history are treated like ancient history.

Bastian Schweinsteiger's ordeal occurred less than eight years ago. July 2016 was that recent, Donald Trump was preparing to run for the presidency. Taylor Swift was involved in a much-publicised romance that year, as she has been this year. Pep Guardiola was the Manchester City coach.

Yet football followers are treated as though they have a memory of a goldfish. As engaging as the conversation between Schweinsteiger and Gary Neville was, there was little that was revelatory.

This correspondent reported on Schweinsteiger's demotion to training with the youth team at the time. He was also written out of the club's accounts in September that year. The Manchester Evening News was tipped off by the club Schweinsteiger was back in training in late October minutes before the club posted imagery of his unheralded return on social media. He had actually been reintegrated the week before.

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Jose Mourinho also expressed contrition over his initial handling of Schweinsteiger following his departure for Chicago Fire in March 2017.

Schweinsteiger gave a lengthy interview to the BBC in October 2021 when he reflected on the "sad story" of his treatment by Mourinho. It was aired hours before Liverpool walloped United 5-0, so flew under the radar. Schweinsteiger was also interviewed by FourFourTwo about Mourinho this month.

All of the Schweinsteiger-Mourinho ground was covered at the time and has been since. Neville lives and breathes United. His friend was the assistant manager when Schweinsteiger happily referred to himself as the club's "first Kraut" on MUTV. He will have researched Schweinsteiger's time at the club for their conversation.

So when a press release drops with "Bastian Schweinsteiger Exclusive: Jose Mourinho banned me from the first team dressing room and made me train with the U16s at Manchester United", it is nearly eight years late claiming it.

What is noticeable about conversations between former footballers is they are seldom challenged. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wasn't last month when he appeared on the Stick to Football podcast. Nobody interjected when he claimed United would have "100 per cent" finished in the top four had he not been sacked. United lost five of their first 12 games.

Solskjaer suggested Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival compromised a frontline that Edinson Cavani had spearheaded. Nobody reminded Solskjaer that Cavani was as likely to be in Montevideo as he was in Manchester. Or that he overruled club medical staff.

Schweinsteiger made four substitute appearances in the 2015-16 season after January 9 yet claimed "there was an FA Cup final which I almost played". The German was not on the bench for the final ten games and stayed in his Cup final suit at Wembley. Schweinsteiger was the only besuited player to enter the dressing room for the celebrations.

"He (Mourinho) explained to me that he didn’t see me happy here at United because when I had my injury, I did my rehab with German doctors, spending time in Germany," Schweinsteiger said. "Of course, I came back to United and was in contact with doctors and watched the games. I had a conversation with Louis van Gaal when he was coach and he said to come on the weekends to United and remain in contact with the doctors."

Schweinsteiger travelled to Dubai, Stuttgart and Miami to watch his partner and now wife, Ana Ivanovic with his knee in a brace. That "p****d off" United players, according to one senior player. Mourinho got wind of it and made an example of Schweinsteiger.

Van Gaal coached Schweinsteiger at Bayern Munich and the suspicion was the World Cup winner was granted privileges that would not have extended to other teammates. Paul Pogba, another midfielder with a penchant for jet-setting whilst injured, was ordered to return to Manchester by Ralf Rangnick shortly after he was appointed the interim manager.

Schweinsteiger was a popular signing in the summer of 2015. When his name was read out by the Old Trafford announcer Alan Keegan ahead of his first start against Newcastle United, Memphis Depay joined in with the applause.

Guardiola was the Bayern coach when he let Schweinsteiger go, convinced his legs had gone. That was the first time United fell into the trap of signing someone the City coach had gone cold on.

United fans used to sing "Deutscher Fussball Meister" and Schweinsteiger's exile ended with a cameo against West Ham United in the League Cup in November 2016. He earned a standing ovation.

Yet Schweinsteiger still seems oblivious to the antipathy some teammates harboured over the air miles he clocked up. He was pictured training at Carrington on only one date after he sustained a knee injury against Sheffield United in the FA Cup in January 2016. Luke Shaw, recovering from a double leg break, was captured doing ball work on the eve of the FA Cup final.

That is a memory Shaw would consign to ancient history.