‘No Regrets’—Retired Icon Reveals Man Utd Transfer Snub

Midfield enforcer Edgar Davids had the opportunity to join Manchester United in 1996.

Edgar Davids made his name at Ajax. / IMAGO/Claus Bergmann

Edgar Davids has spoken about turning down a move to Manchester United almost 30 years ago, instead opting to pursue a career in Serie A.

Davids rose to prominence as the destructive midfield force in Ajax’s 1994–95 Champions League-winning team. But after the Dutch champions returned to the 1996 final, Davids’s contract expired and he was a free agent under the new ‘Bosman’ rule—Clarence Seedorf had left in the same way in 1995.

At that time, Manchester United were fresh from winning a Premier League–FA Cup double, but Sir Alex Ferguson spied an opportunity to recruit one of the best midfielders in Europe. And, even though Davids had followed and admired Paul Ince during his Old Trafford days, his heart was elsewhere.

“I got to talk to Sir Alex and it was one of the most incredible talks I ever had,” he told MUTV.

“But I had already made my mind up to go [to AC Milan]. It was in 1996, when I was with Ajax, but it was just the way [Ferguson] was. His personality and everything. It was a whole different level.”

Manchester United enjoyed an era of dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson. / IMAGO/Colorsport

Davids struggled with Milan, a squad in transition following several European successes in the years prior, but stayed in Italy to join Juventus 12 months later. It was there that he faced Ferguson’s United on several occasions, including in the 1998–99 Champions League semi-finals.

“I played against amazing players [at United], who started doing amazing things. When you play against certain teams, you then also follow the careers of these young players,” the Dutchman said.

“But no regrets. I only considered Italy for me because Italy was the place I wanted to be. The best players were playing in Italy at the time, like it is now in the Premier League.”

Davids did eventually arrive in England almost a decade later, playing 40 Premier League games for Tottenham Hotspur towards the tail end of his career.

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