Ex-Liverpool stalwart Stephane Henchoz recently opened up about nearly signing for Manchester United before achieving cult-hero status at Anfield. One half of a formidable partnership formed with fellow Reds hero Sami Hyypia, Henchoz was a hit on Merseyside, having made the move in 1999, racking up over 200 appearances for the club.
However, after a resilient struggle with injuries and losing favour to Jamie Carragher under Rafael Benitez, Henchoz left Liverpool in 2005 for a short stint with Celtic before joining Wigan Athletic.
He later returned to his first club in English football, rejoining Blackburn Rovers in 2006, yet it could have been a completely different story had he taken up another offer to join the Red Devils earlier in his career.
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"It's true, I was close to signing for Manchester United in 1997," Henchoz stated, speaking at the launch of Ladbrokes' Gaffer of all Accas event. "When I was playing for Hamburg, and before I signed for Blackburn, I'd had two good seasons. I was 23, and Man United were looking for a centre-back, and that's when my name would've come up on their list.
"So yes, I could have had the opportunity to play for them, but for me, I thought that club was too big for me. I didn't want to go there, because I just couldn't see how I was going to get in ahead of their current options in my position."
Reflecting on his career, Henchoz admitted that he would have struggled to break into the Manchester United squad under Sir Alex Ferguson.
"I would not have played," Henchoz confessed. "I'd have maybe played a cup game here, or a couple of league games there. I'd have had to have waited too long to get my chance, so I thought it would be too big a step for me."
The former Swiss international then revealed how ex-England manager Roy Hodgson persuaded him to join Rovers for the first time before he would go on to achieve hero status at Anfield.
"Roy Hodgson was someone I knew from the Swiss national team, and he'd taken over at Blackburn - I'd already spoken with him and I knew Blackburn were a good team, and given that the manager knew me, I thought Blackburn was a safer choice," Henchoz explained.
"So, the plan was to go to the Premier League, adapt with Blackburn, and then see what happens... and we all know what happened; I played two seasons at Blackburn, did OK and moved to Liverpool. At the end of the day, I'm quite happy with my choice!"
