Published 17:14 IST, April 8th 2020
How Paolo Di Canio rejected Man Utd despite Sir Alex Ferguson's Christmas Day call
Paulo Di Canio is considered to be one of the greatest players to put on a West Ham United jersey. However, he nearly became a Manchester United player.
As Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson attracted some of the biggest talents in Europe to Old Trafford over the course of his 26-year-long career. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Nani, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane were some of the players that Sir Alex Ferguson managed to recruit during his tenure as Manchester United boss. However, one player he could not convince to come to Old Trafford was former West Ham United skipper Paolo Di Canio.
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Di Canio failed Man Utd move: How Paolo Di Canio rejected Manchester United despite Sir Alex Ferguson's Christmas Day call
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In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Paolo Di Canio opened up about the time when Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign him for Manchester United on Christmas Day in 2001. Di Canio was quoted as saying, "I thought it was a joke, I thought it was my friend from Italy. My stomach went a bit because it makes you think you have underestimated yourself, that you are bigger than what you thought. Man United call you, try to persuade you to move because they want you. For a couple of minutes, you feel big and strong. It was strange for me to say no to Sir Alex. I said 'thanks, 1000 times thanks, but I can't. West Ham are the family that warmed to me in the worst moment in my life, I'm the skipper, I can't.' He told me, 'Paolo, respect for this, I love people that think in this way' to which I replied, You are the man that I thought you were."
Paulo Di Canio and a young Frank Lampard go at it over a penalty kick
Updated 17:14 IST, April 8th 2020