The Govan-born manager led the club for 26 years
The Govan-born manager led the club for 26 years (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)
Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign four football legends during his time at Manchester United, it has been revealed.
The Govan-born manager, who led the club for 26 years, was unsuccessful in his attempts to bring Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne, Ronaldinho, and Wesley Sneijder to Old Trafford.
This was revealed by former Manchester United first team coach Rene Meulensteen in an interview with Poker Firma.
Meulensteen said: "When Sir Alex Ferguson was at Manchester United in the early parts of his career – before I joined – I know that he was keen on signing Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne.
"That was during the late 1980s and early 1990s, but it obviously never materialised."
The former coach also disclosed Ferguson's interest in Ronaldinho and Wesley Sneijder.
He said: "After I joined the club in the 2000s, I do believe Sir Alex was really keen on signing Ronaldinho from Barcelona.
"He was absolutely exceptional during his time in Spain and he would have brought that superstar element with him to the club, which I don’t think Sir Alex would have minded as long as he was able to manage him.
"Sir Alex also looked at the possibility of signing Wesley Sneijder when Paul Scholes’ career was coming to an end.
"He would have been a very good player for Manchester United because he had so many similar features to Scholes in terms of linking the play – he had a great range of passing, could score from long range and was fantastic at finding key passes.
"The club asked me what my opinion of Sneijder was at the time because he was Dutch and I knew him, and I said that he would fit the bill perfectly for what the club wanted, but it never happened."