10 Players Who Should Regret Turning Down Man Utd

10. Paolo di Canio

Rebecca Naden/PA Archive/Press Association ImagesIn 2002, Paolo di Canio received a phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson asking if he would like to play for Manchester United, but the mad-cap forward decided he'd prefer to get relegated with West Ham United instead of winning titles at Old Trafford. "It was Christmas and I got a call on my phone, and it was Ferguson," Di Canio recently revealed.

"You could tell from his voice that he had been drinking and he asked me if I wanted to join Manchester United. To begin with, I thought it was a joke from a friend and I told him where to go three times before I realised it really was him. I then said no. I was captain of West Ham and I couldn't accept."

Though you can't fault the Italian on his loyalty, it was hardly a decision that benefited his playing career. 12 months later, West Ham were near the bottom of the league and battling against the drop. Despite scoring against Chelsea in the penultimate game of the season, Di Canio could not prevent his side's relegation and was released on a free transfer before signing for Charlton Athletic.