I scored one of Manchester United's most famous goals - but I regret what happened next

Former Manchester United striker Federico Macheda has admitted he never benefited from being sent out on loan six times during his Old Trafford career.

Joining United's academy as a youngster in September 2007, the Italian was handed his first-team debut by Sir Alex Ferguson in April 2009, marking it with a famous 93rd-minute winner against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, helping United seal a 3-2 win.

Turning and then shooting from the edge of the box, Macheda had earlier stepped off the bench to replace Nani with 61 minutes on the clock.

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United had found themselves 2-1 down as the game entered its final 10 minutes, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to claw them level and give them a fighting chance of securing all three points. Macheda's outstanding finish was enough to get United back to winning ways after they had previously lost their last two Premier League games prior to the clash with Villa.

The now-33-year-old's most famous moment in a United shirt, however, did not turn out to be the breakthrough moment he dreamt of, with the forward going on to make less than 40 appearances for the club.

He was sent out on loan on several occasions in the following seasons, joining the likes of Sampdoria, QPR and Stuttgart, before spells at both Doncaster Rovers (twice) and Birmingham City, who were both in the Championship at the time, during the 2013/14 season.

United wanted Macheda's loan spells to aid his development, but he has now admitted they did nothing to help him.

"When you're young and everything is going well, it's hard to face reality," Macheda told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Today I can safely say that I didn't make the right choices in that period of my life, but speaking with hindsight is easy.

"At 19, I went out on loan several times, even accepting six-month contracts. I put myself in situations where I had to prove everything in a short time.

"I also often found myself in the middle of complicated corporate moments. This unfortunate combo led me to take steps backwards. Despite the many falls, however, I always got back up and I take credit for that."

Macheda, who now plays for Greek club Asteras Tripolis, left United permanently in May 2014, joining Cardiff City. He scored five goals in 36 games for United.