Manchester United legend Edwin van der Sar has disclosed that he came close to signing for Liverpool instead of Juventus in 1999.
The former Dutch goalkeeper, in a chat with La Gazzetta dello Sport, said that he was attracted to the idea of playing for a historic club that had beaten his former team, Ajax, in the Champions League final in 1996.
He also mentioned being intrigued by the prospect of wearing the iconic black and white Juventus shirt, which had previously been worn by legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff.
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“I had two options: Liverpool or Juventus. I spoke to both clubs, then my heart drew me to Italy: Serie A was the best league in those years, Juventus was a historic club and had beaten us in the Champions League final in 1996.
“I liked the black and white shirt and was intrigued by the idea of playing for the team where a legendary goalkeeper like Zoff had played a key role.
“At Juventus, there were many changes compared to the habits I had at Ajax, and there were just as many difficulties. I didn’t play my best football, but I have no regrets: when a striker doesn’t score or a goalkeeper doesn’t save goals, it’s part of the game to receive criticism. It was still a great experience living and playing in Italy.”
