Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov snubbed Manchester City before moving to Old Trafford.
Two of Berbatov’s former clubs went head to head in Manchester over the weekend. Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent two years, humbled United, taking all three points with a 3-0 win.
The way Erik ten Hag has led the Red Devils into his third season, not many elite players would be queuing up to play for the Mancunians. The Dutch coach has consistently failed to mask his players’ weaknesses and get the best out of the team.
Needless to say, that was seldom the case during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time, and Europe’s biggest players showed interest in playing under him at the Theatre of Dreams.
In a recent interview with Telegraph Sport, Berbatov shed light on how his desire to represent United left neighbours City red-faced in the summer of 2008.
The 43-year-old said: “I come from Bulgaria, a small country. In my mind, I had always dreamed of being able to climb my own mountain. The top was Manchester United.”
“I knew that this train was only going to pass once in a lifetime and I didn’t want to let it pass.”
Speaking about City’s interest, Berbatov revealed: “They wanted to sign me on the last day of the market. I told my agent: ‘F— off, we’re going to United’. Because of the history, the prestige, the players, the manager, the shirt. I never had any doubt that Old Trafford was the right decision.”
After tricky negotiations with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, United managed to secure the silky Bulgarian forward on the transfer deadline day.
Ferguson instantly made Berbatov feel good about his decision by welcoming him at the airport. The ex-Spurs striker enjoyed a prolific and trophy-laden career at United before moving to Fulham in 2012.
While Berbatov got to play alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, United’s current strike force features Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
Before Zirkzee moved to Manchester, the Dutch number nine attracted comparisons to Berbatov, owing to his “great technique and vision of the game.”
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