De Rossi Reveals He Almost Joined Manchester United Under Ferguson

In a recent interview, former AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi shared that he came close to joining Manchester United during his playing career. While De Rossi ultimately spent most of his career with Roma, he admitted that United was the only club that seriously tempted him to leave Italy.

De Rossi recalled a surprising encounter with then-United manager Sir Alex Ferguson during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Italy coach Marcello Lippi unexpectedly arranged a brief meeting between De Rossi and Ferguson at the airport.

“It was a very short, 3-minute conversation,” De Rossi explained. “I was quite shy and intimidated by both Ferguson and Lippi. Looking back, I wish I had told Ferguson directly that I wanted to join United, as they were such a massive club at that time.”

Although the move never materialized, with United signing Michael Carrick instead, De Rossi harbors no regrets about staying at Roma. He praised Carrick as an excellent player, recalling some difficult matches against United where Roma suffered heavy defeats.

De Rossi expressed his admiration for United during his younger years, particularly Roy Keane’s influence at the club. While content with his Roma legacy, the World Cup winner acknowledged that United was his top choice if he had ever left his hometown team.

The Italian midfielder eventually finished his career with a brief stint at Boca Juniors in 2019 after 18 seasons with Roma. Though the United transfer never happened, De Rossi’s comments highlight how close he came to joining the Premier League giants during his prime years.