Sir Alex Ferguson phoned England star to convince him to join Man Utd but was brutally rejected by player

Sir Alex Ferguson once tried to make a signing for Manchester United by phoning the player, but was eventually rejected.

Ferguson, 83, will forever be remembered as one of the greatest managers in football history.

During his time in charge of United, Ferguson led the team to 13 Premier League titles and three Champions League crowns among other trophies.

Ferguson was often the big lure for players looking to join United but one former England star rejected a move to Old Trafford despite receiving a phone call from the legendary manager.

The player in question was Chelsea and England legend John Terry, who went on to become one of the country's finest ever defenders.

Speaking to Simon Jordan back in 2024, Terry explained he was being chased by the likes of United, Arsenal and Cheslea when he was a youngster.

He explained: "I was at West Ham for two or three years before that. Jimmy Neighbour was our trainer, he was a fantastic coach, and one day we turned up and we had a new coach for our Under 13s. And I came away from the session and said to my dad ‘I’m not going back’.

"So I left there, went to Arsenal for a year, and in this time I was kind of floating between Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea."

Terry continued: "Arsenal had rolled out the red carpet for me, Man United had done the same. I had Sir Alex Ferguson phoning my house, and Chelsea didn’t do anything. All they offered me was a pair of boots each season and my £2 expenses for getting the train, nothing else.

"When I walked into Chelsea, I knew Chelsea was the right club for me, I just felt it was home."

Terry went on to make 717 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea, scoring 67 times.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, Terry won five Premier League titles and one Champions League among other accolades.

After leaving Chelsea, Terry played for Aston Villa before calling time on his glittering career.

On the international stage, the defender was capped 78 times by England, scoring six goals in the process.