Liverpool and Manchester United are two of the greatest rivals in English football history.
The two clubs have had some historic battles over the years, and they’ve also had some interesting battles off the pitch too.
Indeed, Liverpool and Manchester United have had some transfer battles over the years.
Phil Jones was wanted by Liverpool before joining Man Utd in 2011, while Manchester United wanted Cody Gakpo before his move to Liverpool.
Speaking on Tales, Tears and Trophies, another former Man Utd player has admitted that he almost signed for Liverpool at one point too.
Indeed, Mickael Silvestre says that Liverpool tried to sign him in 1999 just before his move to Old Trafford.
- READ MORE: Liverpool are stepping up their interest in ‘very aggressive’ right-back ahead of the summer
Liverpool tried to sign Mickael Silvestre
Silvestre spoke about how he almost joined Liverpool.
The Frenchman says that Gerard Houllier called him about a move to Anfield just before he headed to Old Trafford for £4m.
However, Silvestre says it was ultimately an easy decision to turn down Liverpool and join United as the Red Devils were a much better team at the time.
“I almost, I almost, no, almost, no, no. I’m taking those words back. Gerard Houllier gave me a call before Sir Alex Ferguson to tried to, so we could have been, we could have been teammates,” Silvestre said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, in 99. In 1999, yeah, yeah, yeah.
“Yeah, for real, yeah. So he gave me a call. Gerard, he was my coach at under 21 level, under 18, we won the European Championship.
“He gave me a call, but Liverpool at the time wasn’t great, and then Alex gave me a call, and that was the year of the treble. So it was an easy decision, but I signed for United on Thursday lunchtime. I play Saturday morning at Anfield.”
Mickael Silvestre record vs Liverpool
Silvestre says it was an easy choice to pick United and Liverpool, and, ultimately, it ended up being the right choice.
Indeed, Silvestre would have a remarkably successful career at Manchester United. He won the Premier League on no fewer than four occasions during his time at Old Trafford, and he would also boast a winning record over Liverpool, the club he nearly signed for.
| Mickael Silvestre record vs Liverpool | |
|---|---|
| Games | 20 |
| Wins | 9 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Losses | 8 |
Of course, these days, players may be more inclined to sign for Liverpool than United given that Arne Slot’s side are about to become league champions, but, back in the late 1990s, United were the dominant force in English football.
Interestingly, Silvestre nearly signed for Man City after he was finished at United, but he opted to join Arsenal instead.
