10 Players Relieved They Didn't Sign For Liverpool
4. Nemanja Vidic
''I was talking with Liverpool. I was very close to Fiorentina, then Liverpool and after that Manchester United. At the time, it was a hard choice but when you look at it now with the three years we have won many trophies and I play regularly. Liverpool started the meetings, then they stopped. - Nemanja Vidic, February 2009.
Serbian international Nemanja Vidic may not have many personal fond memories of Liverpool, having endured enough torrid afternoons when faced with Fernando Torres to last a lifetime, picking up four red cards along the way, but on a broader scale, he will reflect on his the Reds with nothing but relief. The cornerstone of the Red Devils recent success, the steely centre-half established himself as a firm fan favourite at Old Trafford, having arrived as a virtual unknown in a £7 million deal from Spartak Moscow in 2006. His arrival almost immediately coincided with the end of Chelseas dominance, as the Red Devils stormed to five league titles during Vidics eight-year spell. During his 300 appearances with the club, he also scooped five Community Shields, three League Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup and a Champions League. There is not much point weighing that up against Liverpools comparative haul, as it might get a little embarrassing.
''My type of defender. Liverpool tried to buy him in January 2006 but our loss was Uniteds gain. Id have loved to have played alongside him and Im sure we could have formed a solid partnership. He loves defending and putting his head in where it hurts. His arrival took Ferdinands performances up another level. They became the best defensive pairing in Europe. - Jamie Carragher, October 2014.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
