Former Arsenal and England goalkeeper David Seaman has explained his decision to turn down a move to Old Trafford in favour of the Gunners.
Seaman moved to Highbury in 1990 when he joined from fellow London side Queens Park Rangers and spent 13 years at the club, winning three League titles.
But the goalkeeper could have ended up with Manchester United if it wasn’t for two conversations with his manager Don Howe and teammate Ray Wilkins.
“It was Don [Howe] and Ray Wilkins actually, because I had spoken to Man United as well, they said that they were going to come in for me in the summer, but Arsenal had obviously put their money on the table,” Seaman told Handbrake Off podcast.
“So I’ve now got this choice of signing for Arsenal or Man United, Ray Wilkins said to me, ‘if you sign for Man United you won’t win trophies straight away but you will do later because they’re a massive club, but if you sign for Arsenal, you’ll win trophies straight away’.
“Then I spoke to Don, and Don said ‘just get yourself to the Arsenal lad’, so that was it.”
In his 13 years at Arsenal, Seaman played 480 times, keeping 193 clean sheets. He also played 77 times for England.
The former goalkeeper announced his retirement in 2004 after a short spell with Man City.
Manchester United did manage to bring a goalkeeper to Old Trafford, signing Peter Schmeichel from Brondby just a year after their attempt to sign Seaman.
