Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic has stated that he nearly signed for Liverpool before moving to Old Trafford.
Former Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic spent a total of 10 seasons at Old Trafford, winning a number of trophies with the Red Devils. He captained the side and was also touted as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, if not in Europe. However, the Serbian has recently revealed that he was nearing a move to Liverpool before signing for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
In an interview with FourFourTwo (h/t ESPN), Vidic stated that he almost signed for Liverpool after he left Russian side Spartak Moscow in 2006.
“Yes. Rafa Benitez called me and I nearly went there. I was interested in going but my English wasn’t good and I was struggling to communicate.
“Then Manchester United came. Fergie called me at my apartment and said: ‘I watched you play for Serbia against France – I want you here’. United were decisive. Everything was done very quickly, within two days,” said the former United captain.
Ironically, Liverpool turned out to be Vidic’s worst opponents in a United shirt, as he found himself sent off four times while facing the Reds. Regardless, the Serbian won five Premier League titles, three League Cups and a Champions League with United. In hindsight, moving to Old Trafford proved to be a fruitful decision for him.
Now the 34-year-old is ready to embark on a different path after retired in January 2016 due to persistent injury worries. Vidic is now eyeing a managerial role, but would not like to immediately take up the job of a head-coach. Instead, he would prefer working under someone experienced and learn the ropes of management.
“I would like to be a manager, but only if I had the opportunity first to be a coach and learn from someone for maybe one or two years.
“I would take the experiences I had of the managers I’ve worked under. Nemanja the manager won’t be the same Nemanja that you saw on the pitch. They are two completely different roles,” Vidic added.
