Alex Ferguson wanted me at Man Utd but refused to offer what rivals paid because it’s an ‘honour to play for the club’

9 months ago 78

JERMAINE JENAS has revealed that Manchester United tried to sign him from Nottingham Forest.

The former Young Player of the Year was the subject of a three-way transfer tussle when he left the City Ground in 2002.

Jermaine Jenas was wanted by Manchester United[/caption]

The former midfielder recounted his Forest exit while chatting to Peter Crouch[/caption]

Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn’t budge on his valuation[/caption]

Sir Alex Ferguson, now 82, saw something in Jenas – but was not willing to go the extra mile to secure his signature.

Appearing on the Peter Crouch Podcast, Jenas, 41, recounted: “It’s a Wednesday, Paul Hart rings me and says ‘you need to come to the office now.’ I was like ‘okay, what have I done?’

“He went ‘right, we’ve had three offers on the table’. Sir Alex Ferguson has rang and bid three million, and not a penny more, because it’s an honour to play for the football club.

“David O’Leary’s rang from Leeds, they were spending money at the time, they’ve bid five million and Newcastle United have bid five million, and the car’s going to be here in an hour.”

After revealing that Shaka Hislop’s brother picked him up to take him to the Toon, Jenas continued: “I’m saying to my agent, ‘I want to go to Leeds.’

“Because Leeds is just down the road and I knew Rio (Ferdinand) because I’d bumped into him a few times, out, as you can imagine.”

Jenas was subsequently warned of Leeds’ situation and that they were “going to fall apart”.

On the Red Devils he then added: “United was the only one I said no to straight away because I wanted to play.

“I looked at their midfield and I was like ‘I’m not playing’. They had (Juan Sebastian) Veron, Scholesey, Roy Keane, Becks.”

Jenas went on to join Newcastle, spending three years at St James’ Park before moving on to Tottenham.

Ahead of moving to White Hart Lane, however, the midfielder thought he may end up on the red side of North London.

He added: “I nearly went to Arsenal when I left Newcastle – I thought I was going to Arsenal at that particular time.

“He (Arsene Wenger) was quite vocal. (Patrick) Vieira was about to leave to go to Juve and he always used to say he was an admirer of mine.

“When I won Young Player of the Year, Martin Keown came and got me and said ‘everyone in our dressing room voted for you’ so I thought there was half a chance I was going to Arsenal here.

“At that particular time Wenger was basically Pep Guardiola.”

Bumping into the Frenchman years later, Jenas asked why he didn’t bring him to Highbury.

Revealing Wenger’s answer, Jenas claimed : “He said ‘I should have bought you when you left Forest’.”

The 21-cap England ace went on to spend eight years at Spurs, playing 202 times and helping them secure Champions League qualification for the first time under Harry Redknapp.

Following loans at Aston Villa and back at Forest he joined QPR permanently in January 2013.

He made his final appearance for the R’s aged just 31, after being forced into an early retirement due to a serious knee injury.

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