Rio Ferdinand was left stunned after learning that he almost became teammates with Robert Lewandowski at Manchester United.
The Polish striker was playing for Borussia Dortmund at the time and at 24 years of age, he’d proven himself as someone who would be classed as elite in the years to come.
After finishing second in the 2011/12 Premier League season, Sir Alex Ferguson was looking for a striker to spearhead his side to title glory with Lewandowski revealing just how close the move was to happening.
Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Present YouTube channel, Lewandowski was quizzed on the move and replied: “Yes. Yeah, that’s true.
“I said yes to join Manchester United.”
Asked what year, Lewandowski said: “2012,” to which a stunned Ferdinand replied: “I was there!”
Lewandowski continued: “I remember one conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I remember the conversation… [it was] before pre-season and we were playing some games. I knew that he was going to call to me.
“At half-time I sat down because I knew that I was playing 45 minutes and I had the call.
“[I was] very [nervous]. I knew what I should tell him, you know.
“But I knew he was going to speak easy English but then with the Scottish accent, I was like ‘Yeah, of course, I want to join Manchester United, yeah. Can you repeat again? Yes, yes, of course, of course.’”
Questioned on why he didn’t sign, the striker hesitated before saying: “Ask the club.
“I remember the conversation with the president of Dortmund.
“He said they needed me. They’re not going to sell me to Manchester United because I’m so important for them, and it’s not the perfect time now.
“So, yeah. I said yes to joining Manchester United because if Sir Alex Ferguson calls you, you cannot say no. Especially when I was 22 or 23 years old.
“I was playing for Dortmund. I was happy, but Manchester United are like the prime of Manchester United, you know.”
Responding to the revelation, Ferdinand said: “What a team we would have had, man. Jesus.”
Man United went on to sign Robin van Persie in a £22.5million deal from Arsenal, with the Red Devils going on to win the Premier League title in 2013.
But while Lewandowski’s move to Old Trafford didn’t work it, it wasn’t the first time that a switch to England failed to materialise.
That’s because five years earlier in 2007, the striker came close to joining Birmingham City for just £250,000.
Lewandowski began his senior career in the country’s third tier with Znicz Pruszkow.
He finished as top scorer as the club won promotion in 2007, prompting clubs to quickly take notice.
Birmingham were among the sides interested in the teenage forward, former scout Paul Montgomery has revealed.
Having revealed Lewandowski was the one player he wanted but missed out on before he became a superstar.
Montgomery told talkSPORT: “It’s weird because I remember we needed a central striker and I’d said to Alex (McLeish) and Alex had spoken to me and he had a couple of contacts in Poland and said, ‘look, they really like this man’.
“I went and watched him two or three times and I said, ‘listen, he’s a good player, no doubt about it, but he does everything in wide areas’.
“Those days he would spin and do everything in wide areas. He isn’t the central type of striker that we need. And then the rest is history.
“He’s become this brilliant goalscorer, you know, so I don’t need to tell you.”
Thankfully, those moves haven’t hampered Lewandowski’s career too much after thriving with Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and now Barcelona where he continues to shine at the age of 36.
After scoring 344 in 375 games for Bayern, Lewandowski has already managed to net 77 goals in 112 games for Barcelona, as well as racking up 84 strikes for Poland.