Manchester United and Liverpool are two of England’s football giants so which club do you choose to sign for if both of them are desperate for your signature?
Tough call, right? Both sides have the stature, the bulging trophy cabinets and suit up in fine shades of red, but for one team the glory days are that bit more distant. United reigned supreme during the Sir Alex Ferguson era and the Scot’s managerial pull would have been too difficult to turn down over previous years.
For these eight names, Man Utd’s lure even trumped that of Liverpool.
Mikael Silvestre
Year he signed: 1999
Appearances for Manchester United: 356
Trophies won: 11
Despite an approach from Liverpool manager Gerard Houiller in September 1999, Mikael Silvestre signed for Manchester United instead. After proving himself as a first-class defender during his single season at Internazionale the Frenchman went on to make 356 appearances during his time at Old Trafford.
Just to add further salt into the Liverpool fans’ wounds Silvestre made his debut against Liverpool at Anfield, a game that the Red Devils won 3-2 (featuring a stunning own goal from Jamie Carragher). Man United’s purchase of the versatile defender proved to be a good one and he helped them win five Premier League titles and the 2006/07 Champions League.
He certainly wouldn’t have managed that at Liverpool, making it a good decision all round.
Memphis Depay
Year he signed: 2015
Appearances for Manchester United: 39
Trophies won: 0
Memphis Depay described Manchester United as “an absolute dream club” when he signed for the club in 2015. Liverpool had been publicly interested in signing the Dutchman but they were fighting a losing battle as the midfielder seemed smitten with the Red Devils’ advances.
Memphis left the Eredivisie as the league’s top goalscorer and title winner but despite all the positive hype he hasn’t had a seamless transition into life in the Premier League. He has scored seven goals in 39 appearances for the club and has certainly showed signs of improvement during the second half of the Red Devils’ 2015/16 season. Liverpool may feel that they dodged a bullet in the player’s decision to snub their advances but aged just 22 he has plenty of football left in him.
The Reds signed Roberto Firmino around a month later for a similar fee, going on to score more goals in the league than any Liverpool player this season.
Jaap Stam
Year he signed: 1998
Appearances for Manchester United: 125
Trophies won: 6
Jaap Stam’s impressive 1997/98 campaign with PSV Eindhoven gained him a number of admirers, with Liverpool and Manchester United both fighting to sign the powerful centre-back.
The Red Devils got their man and he went on to play 125 times for the club, helping them win the 1998/99 Champions League in his first season and looking like one of the best central defenders in the English top flight.
Despite his exceptional performances, he was sold by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2001 after receiving an offer from Lazio deemed too good to refuse for a 29-year-old. Stam went on to play 94 times for the Italian club and Ferguson has publicly admitted the transfer was a mistake.
It’s unlikely Liverpool wouldn’t have sold him…
Jesse Lingard
Year he signed: 2011
Appearances for Manchester United: 28
Trophies won: 0
A Manchester United youth product, Jesse Lingard recently revealed that he turned down an offer to sign for Liverpool when he was a kid, choosing the Red Devils instead.
Claiming his heart was with United at the time the midfielder signed a professional deal at Old Trafford in 2011 and has since established himself as one of the club’s most integral squad players and has benefitted from current boss, Louis van Gaal’s faith in his side’s youth players.
Lingard’s development has been excellent and it seems he made the right choice; he has made 28 senior appearances and scored five goals. Aged just 23, he has the potential to be a Man United great.
Darren Fletcher
Year he signed: 2003
Appearances for Manchester United: 338
Trophies won: 13
Until recently (given the fact he now plays for West Bromwich Albion) you couldn’t have imagined Darren Fletcher playing for anyone else but Manchester United. The industrious midfielder spent 12 years at Old Trafford and racked up 338 appearances.
But, before the Scottish midfielder signed for Man United in 1995 as a talented 11-year-old, Liverpool scout Frank Mcparland had attempted to lure him to Anfield. The chief talent-spotter saw Fletcher as a very bright talent and did all he could to make him a Liverpool player.
Fletcher chose Man United and after breaking into the first team side in 2003 he went on to win 13 trophies. It would be very strange to think of him in a Liverpool shirt, wouldn’t it?
Nemanja Vidić
Year he signed: 2006
Appearances for Manchester United: 300
Trophies won: 15
Manchester United’s towering centre back Nemanja Vidic revealed recently that he had held talks with Liverpool before he eventually moved to Old Trafford. The Serbian joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in 2006 from Spartak Moscow and formed a formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand, winning 15 trophies including five Premier League titles.
When talking about his decision to move to Manchester he stated that he was close to a deal with Fiorentina first and then Liverpool but claimed that the talks broke down with the latter. Overall the centre back made a fine decision and established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe during his time at the club.
Ashley Young
Year he signed: 2011
Appearances for Manchester United: 138
Trophies won: 2
After establishing himself as a great talent during his days at Watford, Ashley Young signed for Aston Villa in 2007. He spent four years at the club before Manchester United and Liverpool became interested in acquiring his services.
The Red Devils beat their arch-rivals to his signature and he moved to Old Trafford in 2011. His time in Manchester has been mixed and he hasn’t ever truly looked like a Man United first team player. Used as an impact substitute or makeshift full-back you do wonder whether Young made the correct move or if he would have been better suited in Merseyside.
The England international has won two trophies at United and played 138 games, grabbing 13 goals and 31 assists.
Marcus Rashford
Year he signed: 2016
Appearances for Manchester United: 6
Trophies won: 0
Manchester United’s latest starlet Marcus Rashford turned down a move to Liverpool in order to sign for his favourite club. A huge Red Devils fan, the striker had his heart set on playing at Old Trafford and despite Liverpool’s strong interest his mind was quickly made up.
Brought up in the same way as the likes of Wes Brown, Danny Welbeck, Ravel Morrison, Jesse Lingard and Tyler Blackett, Rashford signed a permanent deal in 2016 and has enjoyed a sensational start to professional career.
Like many of the United youth players in the last two years, he has benefitted from Louis van Gaal’s faith in youngsters and made his first-team debut in the Europa League against Midtjlland where he scored a clinical brace. He has continued his outstanding form and has netted four times in six appearances for Man United.
The post Eight players you might not know rejected Liverpool to join Manchester United appeared first on Squawka News.
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