Dutch superstar reveals Manchester United talks

Edgar Davids has revealed just how close he was to joining Manchester United.

Davids is commonly regarded as one of the most talented Dutch footballing exports, having won titles in the Netherlands and Italy during spells with Ajax and Inter Milan.

Having graduated from Ajax’s esteemed academy system in the early 1990s, the talented midfielder went on to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe across a 29-year career in the professional game.

Edgar Davids reveals detailed chat with Sir Alex Ferguson over a proposed move to Manchester United

Edgar Davids in action for Tottenham against Manchester United in 2005 (Image credit: Getty Images)One club that did escape Davids’s grasp however was Manchester United, despite the Red Devils’ best attempts to recruit him back in 1996.

Speaking to BetMGM recently, the now 51-year-old detailed how his conversations with Sir Alex Ferguson almost led to him donning the famous red shirt at Old Trafford.

Even Sir Alex Ferguson couldn’t lure Edgar Davids to Old Trafford (Image credit: Alamy)“When I left Ajax in 1996 there was a good chance of me going to Manchester United,” began Davids.

“I had a conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson and it was one of the most unbelievable experiences I had in my whole career. He was funny, charming, intelligent — basically everything you wanted.

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“The big boys were in Serie A and that’s where I wanted to go at that time of my career. That was the main reason why I chose to go to AC Milan.

“I don’t regret not going to Manchester United. I’ve seen Sir Alex since and we had a good laugh about it all and there are still the same good feelings between us.”

Why Man United Got DESTROYED By TottenhamIn FourFourTwo’s view, Davids may perhaps now regret his decision to not join Manchester United, although he says otherwise, given the amount of success they enjoyed under Ferguson.

It must be said that the former Tottenham Hotspur man didn’t spend long in the Premier League, playing just 40 games for both Spurs and Crystal Palace. Was he good enough to have played in England long term, I guess we will never know the answer to that one…