A Liverpool flop admitted he nearly signed for Manchester United but an ironic twist of fate involving Sir Alex Ferguson and a "cheeky" phone call scuppered the move
14:51, 23 Jan 2026
MILAN, ITALY - MAY 1: Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United talks on his mobile phone during a first team training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg match against AC Milan at San Siro Stadium on May 1 2007 in Milan, Italy.
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Sir Alex Ferguson made a crucial phone call(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
A Liverpool record signing flop almost joined Manchester United but a "cheeky" query over the phone ended any possibility of him playing at Old Trafford.
Stan Collymore, who turned 55 on Thursday, was a man in demand after scoring 25 goals in 43 appearances at Nottingham Forest in the 1994–95 season. His sensational performances had even seen him described as an English version of the Brazilian genius Ronaldo, due to his unique blend of pace, power, strength, deadly finishing and ability to humiliate defenders.
So it was no surprise he had attracted the interest of England’s biggest clubs or that the England international eventually moved to Anfield for an English transfer record £8.5million in the summer of 1995, forming a mouthwatering partnership with the Reds' young goal machine Robbie Fowler. But there was a time when he could have been set to pull on a different red shirt - for their biggest rivals United.
Stan Collymore scores for Nottingham Forest
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Stan Collymore scores for Nottingham Forest(Image: Getty)
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However, Collymore admitted he almost signed for Sir Alex Ferguson’s title-winners, speaking about his career to the Liverpool Echo, courtesy of NewBettingSites.uk, he explained how he nearly wound up down the other end of the M62.
Collymore’s agent Paul Stretford notified him of the interested parties, which included United. But it was ironically another client of Stretford’s, then Newcastle goal machine Andy Cole, who put paid to the move. “Cut a long story short. Sir Alex Ferguson tells a very famous story," Collymore said.
“So Kevin Keegan, the then manager of Newcastle, called up Sir Alex Ferguson and asked him about Keith Gillespie. ‘Can we have Keith Gillespie?’
Sir Alex Ferguson
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Sir Alex Ferguson opted for a different striker target(Image: Getty Images)
Stan Collymore in action for Liverpool
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Stan Collymore in action for Liverpool(Image: GETTY )
“Sir Alex Ferguson in his book says. ‘I want Collymore but Frank Clark wasn't answering the calls. So I basically said to him, cheekily, ‘What about Andy Cole?’ Thinking I wasn’t going to get anywhere’.
“Andy Cole was banging in goals with Peter Beardsley, there was just no chance Andy Cole was leaving Newcastle at that point. And Ferguson said in his book that there was a pause on the end of the phone.
“And Fergie knew he got him. Because if he’s thought about it, then there's a price. If there's a price, we will pay it. And that’s how it happened.
“Basically, my agent, Paul Stretford, was also Andy Cole's agent. And I was calling him, trying to figure out what was going on because I hadn’t heard anything. And basically the deal was done with Cole to go to United.
Andy Cole
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Andy Cole was signed by Ferguson in a deal worth £7million(Image: Mirrorpix)
“Paul Stretford then rung me up after the deal was done and he said, ‘Nothing to worry about, Liverpool are interested’. And I said, ‘Well, I'm not worried. This is not a sort of a first or second choice. I just want to play football, but I want to be kept informed in what's happening’. And he didn't.
“So we got to the end of the season. Scored my last goal for Forest in the last game against Man City, I think. I went on holiday to Cyprus. And it was with Jamie Redknapp, Phil Babb and Jason McAteer, because I'd met them out and about.
“So really, my mind was made up. Everton had made the same bid, £8.5m, Arsenal also made a lower bid, Liverpool's Roy Evans flew back from holiday from Barbados, literally for three hours, to talk the deal through. And it was all done and dusted.”
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Collymore scored 35 times in 81 games for Liverpool, initially forming a devastating partnership with Fowler, but his stay at the club was plagued by off-field issues before he was sold to Aston Villa for £7million just two years later, where he found the net with less regularity, scoring only 13 times in 60 games.
Cole meanwhile following his own £7m transfer to Old Trafford - a record shortly eclipsed by Collymore's Anfield switch - scored a whopping 121 goals in 275 outings for United, winning the Premier League five times, two FA Cups and the Champions League, including the famous 1998/99 Treble.