Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic confirms he will leave England and Manchester United

MANCHESTER United captain Nemanja Vidic confirms he will leave England and Manchester United at the end of the season.

MANCHESTER United captain Nemanja Vidic has announced he will leave England and Manchester United at the end of the Premier League campaign.

Vidic, who joined United from Spartak Moscow in January 2006, has made 287 appearances, scoring 20 goals, and says now is the time to seek a new challenge.

Entering the final six months of his deal means he can begin to negotiate abroad to sort a pre-contract agreement. A move to Italy has been mooted, with Inter Milan the favourites.

"It's the last year of my contract and I have had eight wonderful years here. My time at this great club will always rank as the best years of my career," Vidic, 32, told manutd.com.

"I never could have imagined winning 15 trophies and I will certainly never forget that fantastic night in Moscow, memories that will live with me and the fans forever. However, I have decided that I will move on at the end of this season. I want to challenge myself again and try to make the best of myself in the coming years.

"I'm not considering staying in England as the only club I ever wanted to play for here is Manchester United and I was lucky enough to be part of this club for so many years. I've got a few options to move on and I will choose the right one for me and for my family.

"I am now going to focus all my efforts on playing for Manchester United and do the best I can for the team until the end of the season. I hope this stops any further speculation about my future."

Vidic's imminent departure provides another headache for David Moyes to solve during his summer recruiting efforts.

Earlier this season, the manager declared Vidic the best central defender he had worked with.

"He's not old. He's a really top centre-half. The best I've worked with, that's for sure," Moyes said in September.