'I should've banged door down': Striker admits regret after Manchester United tried to sign him six times

Manchester United enjoyed incredible success during Sir Alex Ferguson's 27-year spell as manager, but one player never got a chance to play a part.

Ferguson's tenure at Old Trafford became famous for many things, including winning, trusting young players, and the infamous hairdryer treatment.

As a manager who won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues, Ferguson tended to get his way. If he wanted something, United chiefs made sure he got it.

However, one player who was at the top of his transfer wishlist never ended up pulling on the famous red shirt at Old Trafford.

David Hirst was one of the best strikers around in the early 90s, so much so that Ferguson tried to sign him six times without success.

The Sheffield Wednesday striker scored 18 goals in 33 top flight appearances in 1991/22, and Ferguson was eager to bring him to United ahead of the inaugural Premier League season.

The move never happened though, with then Sheffield Wednesday boss Trevor Francis refusing to sell.

"I'd been talking to Alex Ferguson for a couple of weeks and I was going to Man United," Hirst previously said in an interview with the Mail.

"A fax was sent with an offer of £4.5million and I was expecting Trevor to say: 'Man United, £4.5million, away you go'. But he said, 'I'm not selling you'.

"One thing I never did in my career was knock on the manager's door because I'm not in the team or I want more money. If you're not happy with the contract, don't sign it.

David Hirst never left Sheffield Wednesday for Man United (Mark Leech/Getty Images).

"If you're not in the team, go out on the training ground and do your best. It's no good knocking on the door telling him what a good player you are if you've not been doing it. I never had a problem with that

Sitting here now, I should've banged the door down. It's orchestrated now and if Man United are interested your agent will get you there by hook or by crook.

"Financially, it wouldn't have been much different. We weren't on £50,000 a week then. We were all on pretty much the same

"I was playing for Sheffield Wednesday, third in the league, in Europe, cup finals, good wages, but a Man United player comes with a different tag. It is the one thing I regret.

Hirst - who scored 106 goals in 294 games for the Owls - left Wednesday in 1997 for Southampton. Meanwhile, strikers including Eric Cantona, Teddy Sheringham, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Dwight Yorke led United in an era of dominance.