Strasbourg Born in
Obernai, Alsace, Schneiderlin started playing football with his friends at the SR Zellwiller football ground, but began his career later with the major regional club
Strasbourg's youth ranks in 1995, after members of his family brought him to one of the club's scouting sessions when he was five years old. After 10 years moving through the youth ranks, he signed his first professional contract with the club in 2005 and debuted for the B-team later that year. In 2006, he made his professional debut with the senior side and would go on to make four more appearances for the club, before being sold following the club's relegation during the
2007–08 Ligue 1 season.
Southampton Schneiderlin moved from Strasbourg to
Championship club
Southampton on 27 June 2008, having signed a four-year contract in a deal that could rise to €1.5 million (£1.2 million). He joined Southampton despite receiving an offer from
local rivals Portsmouth, then a
Premier League team. He scored his first goal for Southampton away against
Bristol Rovers on 13 April 2010, with the match finishing in a 5–1 victory. Schneiderlin signed a new deal with Saints on 19 August 2011, to keep him at the club until the summer of 2014. in 2014 After promotion to the Premier League in 2012, he kept his place in the side, playing the full 90 minutes of the opening game against
Manchester City, a 3–2 away loss. On 2 September, he scored a goal against
Manchester United, giving his side a 2–1 lead in a 3–2 loss. Schneiderlin followed this up with another home goal in a 1–1 draw with
Swansea City on 10 November, trapping a
Rickie Lambert header with his chest and then placing the ball past onrushing goalkeeper
Gerhard Tremmel. On 16 January 2013, he captained Southampton in a comeback which saw them draw 2–2 with European champions
Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge. He went on to score his third Premier League goal in a 2–2 draw with
Wigan Athletic on 2 February, helping Southampton fight back from a goal down. On 25 February 2013, Schneiderlin signed a new contract extension to keep him at Southampton until the summer of 2017. At the end of the season, Schneiderlin was credited for the most tackles, interceptions and highest work rate in the Premier League, establishing himself as one of the best
defensive midfielders in England. He picked up both the Players' Player and Fans' Player of the Year awards at Southampton's end of season awards. Schneiderlin scored twice in a 3–1 win at
West Ham United on 30 August 2014, equalling his goal tally from the previous season's Premier League campaign. He scored his third goal of the season against
Newcastle United on 13 September, curling in a late strike past goalkeeper
Tim Krul, as the Saints won 4–0. On 28 December, he was sent off two minutes from the end of a 1–1 home draw against Chelsea. He suffered a knee injury against Tottenham on 25 April 2015, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Manchester United in 2015 After much speculation during the summer, Schneiderlin signed for Manchester United on 13 July 2015 for a fee in the region of £25 million. Upon signing for United, he said: "I am delighted to be a Manchester United player. Once I learned that United were interested in signing me, it was a very easy decision to make. I have enjoyed seven very happy years with Southampton and it’s a club that will always be in my heart. But the chance to be part of this squad to help this great club be successful was too good to miss." On 17 July he made his debut, scoring the only goal – a header – as United beat
Club América at
CenturyLink Field in Seattle on their pre-season tour. He made his Premier League debut on 8 August as the season opened with a 1–0 victory against
Tottenham Hotspur at
Old Trafford, being chosen by
BBC Sport as the best of United's five debutants that day. He scored what would be his only competitive goal for the club on 17 October, opening the scoring in a 3–0 league win away to
Everton at
Goodison Park. On 21 May, Schneiderlin was an unused substitute in the
2016 FA Cup Final as United beat
Crystal Palace 2–1 at
Wembley Stadium. He ended his first season with 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring once. Schneiderlin was in the United squad that faced
Leicester City in the
2016 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on 7 August, winning 2–1. Due to competition in midfield, he played less frequently, with a total playing time of 147 minutes in three starts and five substitute appearances during the 2016–17 season. He was sold to Everton in the January transfer window due to a lack of playing time.
Everton in 2017 On 12 January 2017, Schneiderlin signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Everton, re-uniting with his former manager
Ronald Koeman. The transfer fee was reported as £20 million, rising to £24 million. He scored what would end up being his only goal in a 3–0 home victory over
West Bromwich Albion on 11 March. Schneiderlin's transfer to Everton represented a real turnaround of fortunes for the player, becoming a starter in the defensive midfield role at the club. Schneiderlin was sent off on 2 November 2017 as Everton lost 3–0 at
Lyon, eliminating them from the
UEFA Europa League group stage with two games to spare. In January 2018, West Ham wanted to sign him on loan. Schneiderlin struggled in the 2017–18 season under managers Ronald Koeman and
Sam Allardyce, but was told by new boss
Marco Silva in June 2018 that he had a future at Goodison Park. In 2018–19, Schneiderlin did not start a game between October and February, with Silva saying that it was due to issues in his personal life. Schneiderlin received a red card in the opening match of the 2019–20 season, a scoreless draw against Crystal Palace.
Nice Schneiderlin signed for
Nice for an undisclosed fee on 23 June 2020.
Western Sydney Wanderers (loan) In the January transfer window of 2023, Schneiderlin signed on loan for
Western Sydney Wanderers. Schneiderlin made 12 appearances for Western Sydney, scoring two goals including a penalty in the elimination final defeat to cross-town rivals
Sydney. Schneiderlin left the club following that finals exit, with the expiration of his loan.
Konyaspor In August 2023, Schneiderlin signed a two-year deal with
Turkish club
Konyaspor. However, ten days after signing, Schneiderlin’s contract was terminated by mutual agreement.
A.E. Kifisia On 30 September 2023, Schneiderlin signed for
Super League Greece club
A.E. Kifisia. On 16 August 2024, he announced his retirement. ==International career==