Clarence Seedorf has revealed how close he came to joining Manchester United. But the Real Madrid and AC Milan legend had two big reasons for turning the club down. The former midfielder had a big decision to make when he left the Bernabeu at the turn of the millennium. Sir Alex Ferguson was trying to convince him to move to Old Trafford.
However, the tantalising prospect of playing alongside Ronaldo (R9) and Christian Vieri was too good to turn down. So was the Italian weather.
Speaking to Kobbie Mainoo on Amazon Prime Video Sport’s YouTube channel, the 50-year-old admitted he “wanted to come here for a long time” and was “supposed to even play here.” When the young United star enquired why the transfer to Old Trafford never materialised, Seedorf elaborated: “I went to Inter Milan instead. Marcello Lippi, I don’t know if you remember the coach, world champion with Italy. “He called me.
He said, ‘Uh, Clarence, you want to come and play behind Ronaldo R9 and Christian Vieri?’ I said, ‘Okay, let me just take my bags. I’m coming.’ Italy was a bit more familiar. Probably was the reason why I chose to go there as well.” At that point, Seedorf had established himself as a creative force in Real’s engine room, netting 20 goals and providing 35 assists across 159 outings.
He secured the La Liga crown, two domestic cups and the Champions League. He departed for Inter Milan following three campaigns in Spain, joining the Serie A outfit for approximately £20million (€24m). While he failed to lift any silverware there, he did achieve glory in Italy – albeit with Inter’s bitter rivals. Seedorf made 432 appearances for AC Milan, netting 62 goals, providing 67 assists and claiming nine trophies.