Clarence Seedorf has revealed he was planning to join Manchester United but the promise of working with Ronaldo changed his mind.
The former midfielder enjoyed an incredibly successful career for both club and country, winning 16 major honours with Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan. He also played for Inter Milan at around the time he was planning on coming to England to star for United.
Phone call from Lippi changed his plans
During an interview with Kobbie Mainoo on Amazon Prime Video Sport's YouTube channel, the 50-year-old revealed that he "wanted to come here for a long time" and was "supposed to even play here."
When the young United midfielder asked why he didn't make the move to Old Trafford, Seedorf explained: "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."
Career success after Inter switch
At the time, Seedorf had cemented himself as a playmaker in Real's midfield, scoring 20 goals and assisting 35 times in 159 appearances. He won the La Liga title, two domestic cups and the Champions League.
He moved to Inter Milan after three seasons in Spain, signing for the Serie A side for around £20million (€24m). While he didn't win any silverware, he did find success in Italy - just with Inter's rivals.
Seedorf made 432 appearances for AC Milan, scoring 62 goals, assisting 67 times and winning nine trophies. These included two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, two Serie A titles and a trio of domestic cups.
After a decade of success with AC Milan, Seedorf moved to Botafogo in Brazil to end his career. He retired in 2014 after winning the league with his final club.
