'I was linked to Man Utd and turned down Liverpool – I wanted to win trophies'
Wesley Sneijder never made it to English shores, but it wasn't for lack of trying, with two Premier League clubs coming tantalisingly close to securing the enigmatic Dutch playmaker in his heyday
For years, Wesley Sneijder was the Premier League's elusive phantom. The Inter Milan and Netherlands icon was perpetually linked with moves to England, with Manchester United, Liverpool and others investing serious time and effort in pursuit of the mercurial midfielder.
In his prime, Sneijder was a creative force in world football, with his sublime blend of technical brilliance and lethal goalscoring instinct captivating clubs across Europe. Fresh off orchestrating Inter Milan's historic 2010 Treble and steering the Netherlands to a World Cup final, he was the prize many elite clubs coveted.
United made a fervent attempt to snag the Dutch maestro that summer, but it was Liverpool who came closest to securing his signature in 2012. "When I was leaving Inter, I was speaking to Liverpool - but I had to make a decision between Liverpool and Galatasaray," Sneijder said, speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, via BetMGM.
"At that time, I was considering both. But when you look at my career, all the teams I have played for were playing for something, playing for the title, always in the top three of the league.
"And at that time, Liverpool were not as great as they are now. Galatasaray was a completely new experience. A different culture, and playing for prizes. So I chose them over Liverpool."
His decision nearly haunted him, as the Reds mounted a thrilling, albeit doomed, Premier League title charge in 2013/14 under Brendan Rodgers, derailed by Steven Gerrard's infamous slip against Chelsea. In Istanbul, Sneijder's gamble paid dividends, as he powered Galatasaray to eight major trophies, including two Super Lig titles and three Turkish Cups. Yet, the siren call of the Premier League lingered.
Reflecting on the Manchester United saga, Sneijder revealed that talks with the Red Devils were gaining momentum in 2010, only to collapse abruptly. It wasn't until years later, during a chance encounter between his father and legendary former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, that the truth behind the failed transfer emerged, shedding light on one of modern football's great 'what-ifs.'
"I didn't know the reason - I didn't ask my agent. He just said they [United] didn't call anymore and I believed it. But many years later, like five or six years later, my father was in Manchester with a friend of his, and they walked into a place where Sir Alex Ferguson was.
"And he spoke to my father and he said he was interested in me, that he wanted to sign me, but that there was a problem with the agent. So that was the problem - which I didn't know before. That's the information I have now.
"Obviously, it would have been a great move. After winning everything to go to a big club like Man United would have been amazing. But also, I had a great time at Inter Milan, and after that I had a great move to Galatasaray... it just didn't happen."
Sneijder, now 40, launched his storied career at Ajax, honing his craft before a high-profile 2007 transfer to Real Madrid. In his debut season, he clinched the La Liga title, but the arrival of the second Galacticos era - headlined by Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Karim Benzema - pushed him out in 2009.
Revenge came swiftly, though, as Sneijder, under Jose Mourinho, helped new club Inter clinch a famous Treble, capped by a 2-0 Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu - his former home. After securing six major titles in three-and-a-half years at the San Siro, he joined Galatasaray, before stints at Nice and Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa.
Internationally, Sneijder's 134 caps - a Dutch record - saw him shine at six major tournaments. His pinnacle came at the 2010 World Cup, where he led the Netherlands to the final, claimed joint-top scorer honours, and earned the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player.
Sneijder's career, defined by trophies as well as near-misses, remains a testament to his unwavering pursuit of glory over glamour. While the Premier League's allure never truly faded, his choice to chase success in the fervent footballing cauldrons of Milan and Istanbul over England's uncertain promises proved his instinct for winning was as sharp as his playmaking.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
21 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Russell Martin makes Rangers vow as new boss delivers clear message to doubters
Martin was paraded inside the Blue Room today after being confirmed as Ibrox boss Russell Martin has vowed to win over his doubters and told Rangers fans: I'm here to win trophies. Martin, 39, was paraded at Ibrox on Thursday morning after penning a three-and-a-half-year deal to take charge. The former Southampton, Swansea and MK Dons boss convinced the club's new owners that he was the man to lead the revival. Rookie Italian coach Davide Ancelotti and former Gers boss Steven Gerrard were also in the frame but Martin was the Chosen One. Martin's long-awaited appointment has split punters who have vented concerns over the ex-Scotland and Rangers defender's credentials. But Martin - who led Southampton to Premier League promotion before being axed in December - has backed himself to make the Light Blues a force again. Asked if he's confident he can get critics onside, he said: "Yeah, I have to be. I have a lot to prove. My whole career has been based on proving people wrong, really. "At every level, I got questioned. There are always some names in football management that are always a bit more exciting than others, of course. "But I feel after five-and-a-half years of being a manager, coach, a leader - I love doing it. "And I'm going to be all in here, bringing my energy, my love for it and passion and hopefully that will reflect on the pitch and people will see that. "At some point, they'll enjoy it and hopefully I'm sure if our team is winning, they'll be happy." Sitting alongside chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell, Martin added: "The supporters are the most important people at any football club. They'll be here long before and after any manager or coach. "So I think my job is to give them at team that they identify with and feel proud of. A team that wins and they go to a game knowing what to expect. "A team that's going to give everything, to run as hard as they possibly can. I think that's one thing that gets overlooked about the teams we managed. "They always ran the most out of possession, the most sprint distances, the most high-speed runs. They have to if they want to dominate the ball and be aggressive, so I think it's a given. "It's never a given actually, it's an attribute. You need to work hard and not everyone has that. So we want people that have that to come to the club. "I'm sat next to two people who work extremely hard and have a work ethic that matches my own. I'm excited about all of that. "And to the fans? Listen, I have to win. I don't think I've been the number one choice at any club I've been at. "At MK, from a player to become the manager was a bit of a surprise to supporters. To then go to Swansea, they lost in the play-off final, the budget's been cut and then we turned up from League One. "And then Southampton was the same. They had just been relegated from the Premier League, so I'm sure there were all sorts of names being mentioned with the job, and then I got it. "And by the time I've left every club I've been at, I've felt a real connection with the supporters. I've felt they've been really behind us. "Definitely the playing staff and the staff we've been working with wherever we've been, because of the relationships we've formed and maintained at every club we've been at. "And I hope this will be the same, I really do. And I hope people judge us and me in particular on this moment and not when I was a player here a while ago because it's very, very different. "I feel my whole playing career was based on hard work, resilience and trying to find a way myself. I'm even surprised at the playing career I had to play in the Premier League because if you said that when I was 18, I wouldn't have thought that. "But I feel my whole playing career was set up to become a coach and a manager. I always wanted to do that and I'm really grateful that I've ended up playing for as long as I did. "But I've always had a burning desire to do this from an early age and actually, my period here from before, was an incredible learning for me. "It helped me so much in my journey about culture, what to expect, about what's required. Listening to Jimmy Bell and Stevie the physio and listening to them talking about it, it just whetted my appetite even more. "So I learnt a lot when I was here and it's helped me prepare for it now." Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cheika using 'instinct' to unite title-hunting Tigers
Golf clubs and smashed mirrors, dog tags and Tigers flags. Michael Cheika has used elaborate, and sometimes wacky, tactics to spur his teams on - but the message has always been simple."I just think people think about things too much," the Leicester Tigers head coach told BBC Sport about the method behind his famous use of imagery to motivate players."And often when you think about things, it stops you from doing it."It was before a Super Rugby final that Cheika presented his New South Wales Waratahs players with personally engraved drivers. His message then was to "have a big swing at it".Then when at the helm of the Australia national team, he issued players with dog tags before the 2015 World Cup to unify them as a battalion. It was in that same tournament that he used a sledgehammer to smash a mirror, external in the changing room before the final to show what he physically demanded of his is a tale behind every bit of the story is at Leicester Tigers as they prepare for Saturday's Premiership semi-final against Sale Sharks, he will not tell."That is something for us," said the relaxed Australian with a broad grin, while leaning on a pitchside railing at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in a pair of retro sliders he picked up in the 1980s."All that stuff is designed to get the team aligned and around certain themes we want to push. And we try do that all year."You just go with instincts on those things. There is no science behind that stuff. You try read the room as best you can. That golf club thing was a last-day decision, it wasn't like it was planned."They might start off like fun or jokes or whatever, but then they can turn into something that is serious or something that is meaningful because they symbolise something. "Those moments we share together as a team, across all teams that I have been involved in, are really important. They are the things that hold you together when you are a man down or you are under the pump." Against Bristol Bear at Ashton Gate in April, a match of must-win proportions for a Tigers side that were outside the play-off spots at the time, Cheika came along with one of his less obscure delivered his team talk with a giant Tigers flag on a pole before they faced a Bristol side that had thumped them months earlier – planting their own flag, if you will, at Welford captain Julian Montoya described Cheika as "one of the best coaches in the world" for the masterful way he man manages his details of how the Australian inspires his players is left in the sanctity of the changing what if that message is beamed live on television? "Maybe we want you to see it. The camera is there," the hooker was also skipper of the Argentina side that Cheika guided to the World Cup semi-finals in said it has been an "amazing" experience to play for the 58-year-old for club and country – and in two different languages."He tried to speak Spanish a lot with Argentina and he did pretty well, but now he is full English so he can express himself even better," Montoya added."He is very passionate, and that's what I like and what I've seen in him here."For me, he is Michael and was the same with me at Argentina. But with the international team, everyone is from Argentina and here at the club there is different nationalities and different cultures."He has been here only for one year and it is very difficult to try know the culture of the team, the organisation, and everything in that time, but I think he has done a brilliant job that's not done yet." Cheika made it clear that he moved to Leicester this season with the sole aim of winning the Premiership meeting with Sale – a side they have shared 142 points with across two league games already this season – will be his home ground he will not be the only one looking to leave with a shot of glory in their sights. Decorated club legends Ben Youngs and Dan Cole, as well as former England full-back Mike Brown, are retiring at the end of the season, while captain Montoya and two-time World Cup-winning South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard are leaving in the summer."Finishing has nothing to do with it," Cheika said. "Being part of a team means what happens to the team is for everybody and not for any one individual. I certainly don't feel like that."When you are in a team, playing in a comp like this, and you are the leader as a coach, your ambition and hunger is to get to the top. The only interest for me is for this team to be successful."
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Harry Maguire's lookalike League Two star brother wears crop top as Man Utd ace joins him on his stag do in Croatia
HARRY MAGUIRE'S brother Laurence jetted off for a boozy stag do to sunny Croatia. The younger Maguire, who plays for League Two side MK Dons, headed off for the wild celebrations with a group of pals and his Man Utd star brother. 9 9 9 9 Laurence, who is an absolute ringer for his England defender brother, was spotted at Zrce Beach's iconic party island over the weekend. The group of 30-plus wore snazzy multi-coloured beach shirts and quirky hats, with beers and cans in hands, during all hours of the trip. Harry, 32, was even snapped wearing a rainbow glitter crop top with silver tassels and rave sunglasses on Instagram. Groom Laurence, 28, posted several pictures of the group, including eldest brother Joe, enjoying Spring Break Island parties. Another photo showed the Premier League star wearing a red bucket hat with a blue disco flyway top, which showed his entire chest. The last slide showed the group dancing to house music until the early hours. Laurence is marrying long-term sweetheart Amelia Johnson at a beautiful venue back in the UK on Thursday. It comes weeks after Harry played the full 90 minutes of Man Utd's embarrassing Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in Bilbao. 9 9 9 Harry tied the knot with Fern Hawkins at a Crewe Registry Office in May 2022. The pair said their vows again in France at a romantic ceremony held at a chateau a month later. Harry Maguire's wife Fern leads Man Utd Wags flocking to Bilbao for Europa League final with Tottenham Harry has endured another horror season with United suffering a record low finish in 15th in the Prem. Meanwhile, fellow centre-back Laurence joined MK Dons this season after winning promotion to League One with Crawley Town in the previous campaign. 9 9
