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What Sir Alex Ferguson Did To Try And Sign Joe Cole For Manchester United

What Sir Alex Ferguson Did To Try And Sign Joe Cole For Manchester United

Harry Redknapp has revealed what lengths Fergie went to try and land him...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Harry Redknapp has a special knack for talking about the time he tried to sign Player X' but he couldn't do that with Joe Cole as he was coming through the ranks at West Ham when 'Arry' was in charge.

However, he does have a pretty remarkable story about Sir Alex Ferguson going to some pretty crazy lengths to try and land Cole prior to his first-team debut with the Hammers.

According to Redknapp, Fergie was so desperate to snap him up, he sent him a shirt with his name and number and let him on the team bus to Wembley for an FA Cup final.

Image: PA
Image: PA

"Sir Alex Ferguson sent him a Manchester United kit with COLE 10 written on the back," Redknapp explained in his 2013 autobiography, 'Always Managing'.

"'This is what your shirt will look like when you play for Manchester United,' read the message. Alex was desperate to get him.

"He even invited him to travel on the team bus when United got to an FA Cup Final. Arsenal were into him, Chelsea were into him, but I knew Joe was happiest playing for West Ham. So I gave him space.

"When George [Joe's dad) said Joe had been invited up to train for two weeks at Manchester United, I let him go."

Image: PA
Image: PA

Redknapp also added that it was technically 'tapping up' but he elected against reporting it.

"I could have got annoyed, said that he had signed schoolboy forms with us and threatened to report United, but what good would that have done?" Redknapp added.

"It would just have antagonised George and we'd lost the player. "'Great, George,' I told him. 'Let Joe go, let him have a look around, but never forget, we'd love him here. he's going to be in the first team in no time, you know.

"But Manchester United? What a great experience. Tell him to enjoy himself.'

"So we'd lose Joe for two weeks, but he wouldn't have as much fun as he did at West Ham where he knew everybody and got on with all the boys, so he'd come back more in love with our place than ever."

Today, after a 19-year career at the top, Cole has officially retired from the game and now plans to move into management.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Harry Redknapp, Football News, Football, Manchester United, West Ham

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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