Bayen Munich Keeper Regrets Turning Down to Join Manchester United

Former Bayern Munich and Germany keeper Oliver Kahn has admitted that he regrets turning down an opportunity to join Manchester United.

The German, who made his Bayern debut in 1994, claimed eight Bundesliga titles and

a Champions League winner’s medal during his 14 year stint at the club.

But Kahn, speaking in an interview with German media outlet Bild, has revealed that he should have challenged himself by taking up Sir Alex Ferguson’s offer in 2003.

“Sir Alex Ferguson is still mad at me today,” he said.

“He thought that I would move to Manchester United in 2003 or 2004, but I was more interested in trying to define an era at Bayern.

“Looking back, I should have done it then. It would have been a nice challenge for me.”

While Kahn was asserting himself as the finest goalkeeper in the world at the turn of the millennium, Man United supporters were going through the Fabien Barthez and Tom Carroll era – a grim interregnum between the successful stints of Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Saar.

He was, of course, the closest Ferguson could realistically get to replacing Schmeichel, but no such adequate replacement came.

Supporters will just be thankful that the Scot managed to secure the services of David de Gea, now one of the best in the world, after Van der Saar hung up his gloves.