Pavel Nedved has revealed that the biggest regret of his career was not turning out for Manchester United.
The now-retired Czech Republic international was regarded as a superstar in Italy's Serie A, where he played for five years at Lazio and eight years at Juventus, and one of Europe's greatest players in his heyday.
But he never graced the Premier League and reveals that whilst he would have preferred United, a certain club from Stamford Bridge were the only side to actually table a bid.
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Speaking in an interview with Football Italia, Nedved said: "A regret? That I never played for Manchester United, I'd have liked that. The transfer was never on the table though, there was only Chelsea.
"I liked the generation of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, who I admired. I was a little bit jealous of Karel Poborsky who played in Manchester and experienced great matches. I know he still feels that love."
Image credit: PA Images
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Moreover, Nedved also had a few comments on current United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whom he regards as the best player he ever played alongside.
The pair played together at Juventus, where Nedved remains as a vice-president, and he added: "In terms of teammates, I've had a lot and I don't want to offend anyone. If I had to say one though, I'd say Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He's a striker who can cut through defences, he has scary power and height, as well as excellent technique.
"That said, when he came to Juventus he couldn't finish. What you see today is mainly down to the fact Fabio Capello took him for a half hour of shooting practice after every training session.
"As for the most difficult opponent, there have been too many. Maybe Javier Zanetti of Inter. He was cut from the same cloth as me, a lot of running, tireless and he was always switched-on. It was hard to make your mark against him. In some similar questionnaires he's said my name when asked the same question, so it's mutual."
Image credit: PA Images
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United were heavily linked with Nedved in the summer of 2003, when David Beckham left for Real Madrid, but Juventus reportedly wanted too much money for a player who turned 31 in August of that year and the deal never materialised.
Undoubtedly, Nedved would've been a big hit at Old Trafford, and probably in the Premier League, but United fans shouldn't feel too bad they missed out on him - they signed Cristiano Ronaldo that year instead.
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Topics: Football, Manchester United, Premier League, Juventus