Edgar Davids turned down Man Utd despite Sir Alex Ferguson talks

Updated: 26 Jul, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Edgar Davids turned down Man Utd despite Sir Alex Ferguson talks

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Former Netherlands international Edgar Davids has revealed he came close to joining Manchester United in 1996 after a memorable conversation with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

In an exclusive interview with MUTV during the "Football City, Art United" exhibition in Manchester, the ex-midfield enforcer affectionately nicknamed The Pitbull opened up about a career-defining moment that could have taken him to Old Trafford rather than Serie A.

I got to talk to Sir Alex and it was one of the most incredible talks I ever had.

It was just the way he [Ferguson] was. His personality and everything. It was a whole different level.

But I had already made my mind up to go somewhere else [Milan].

Despite the mutual respect and Ferguson’s persuasive nature, Davids was drawn to Italy, which was the pinnacle of club football at the time.

I only considered Italy for me because Italy was the place I wanted to be.

The best players were playing in Italy at the time, like it is now in the Premier League.

Admiration for Paul Ince and United

Davids, who was then making waves at Ajax Amsterdam, said he always admired United thanks to his idol Paul Ince, who starred for the Red Devils before his move to Inter Milan.

I already watched Manchester United as they had a player I really liked - Paul Ince.

He was a midfielder who was unbelievable. I also played against him, when he played for Inter and I played for Milan.

He was a big boy then and it was a really amazing derby. Him against Marcel Desailly, who was a big boy too, and that was like a big battle in the midfield.

Premier League Stint Came Later

Whilst a move to United never materialised, Davids did eventually land in England.

He signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2005, before short spells with Crystal Palace and Barnet, where he also began his managerial journey.

Now 52, Davids most recently served as assistant coach to Louis van Gaal with the Netherlands national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

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