Brazilian World Cup winner Juninho Paulista regrets snubbing Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur back in the day.
Juninho Paulista had the opportunity to join a bigger club in the Premier League when he parted ways with Middlesbrough back in 2004. But the Brazilian icon decided to end his stint in England and move to Scotland to join Celtic.
The 53-year-old regrets turning down the opportunity to move up the ladder in England. He feels that if he had the awareness he has today, he would not have left the Premier League to move to the Scottish Premiership.
Manchester United’s interest in Juninho
While speaking on the Charla Podcast, Juninho discussed interest from Manchester United to begin with. The Red Devils were keen on his signature and did hold talks with Middlesbrough, but there was a difference in valuation between the two parties.
He said, “There was interest from Manchester United, but they didn’t want to pay what Middlesbrough wanted. I think it was £12m (€14m). Ferguson didn’t want to pay.”
Manchester United had a concrete interest in Juninho. Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him at Old Trafford, and they were in talks with the Boro. However, the valuation proved decisive, and the legendary Scot eventually pulled the plug on the move.
Since the two parties could not reach an agreement, it left an opportunity for other top clubs. Juninho has confirmed that both Liverpool and Tottenham knocked on his door. They were keen on having the Brazilian attacking midfielder, who had 52 goal contributions in his 150 appearances for the Boro.
He added, “Liverpool and Tottenham made offers.”
The biggest mistake of Juninho’s career
While he had offers from two of the most prominent clubs in England, the 53-year-old decided to end his stint in England and move to Scotland. Things did not work out for him at Celtic, and things only went downhill for him post that.
The Brazilian icon admitted, “If I had the awareness I have today, I wouldn’t have left England. I would have gone to Liverpool or Tottenham.”
Juninho regrets his decision to leave England. Given what he had done for the Boro, he could have been a very useful player for any Premier League club. The 53-year-old feels he should have accepted a move to Liverpool or Tottenham.
