I won the World Cup and the Champions League, but Manchester United's failed move ruined my Premier League dream

Alessandro Del Piero may have enjoyed a career few players could have dreamed of, but he failed to fulfill his dream of playing in the Premier League.

The Italian football legend, who dazzled fans during the 1990s and 2000s, has revealed he came close to joining manchester united and Newcastle.

Union Juventus In 1993, the striker made 705 appearances for the club and scored 290 goals in a brilliant era for the club.

During that time, Del Piero He helped the club to six Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a Champions League in 1996, where they defeated Ajax on penalties.

He even helped the club win the Serie B title in 2007 after the club was demoted after being embroiled in a high-profile match-fixing scandal.

With a World Cup with Italy also to his name, Del Piero won almost everything that was available to him, leading many to suggest that a move to the Premier League would have been the next logical step for him.

And during his appearance on talkSPORT Drive on Friday live from Soccer Aid training, the 49-year-old was asked if he regrets not playing for England.

To which he responded: “I don't regret it, because I don't regret everything I chose in my career, including the relegation with Juventus.

“It was a difficult decision, but I'm still happy I made it because I really believe in a way and that's still my way.

“Every time I came to play in England there was a great atmosphere.”

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When asked if he was ever close to moving to England, Del Piero commented: “Yes, it happened with Newcastle and Man United.

“In the end it didn't happen because I was captain of Juve and I was happy at Juve and for me it was everything. I was a Juventus fan from the beginning when I was a child.

“I wasn't looking for more money or more things, they gave me good money in Turin and I became captain and I spent 19 years going through everything, from paradise to hell and I'm happy about that.

“It is a unique story and a unique journey.

“Of course I would have loved to have had the opportunity to play here because I always enjoyed playing here, but it didn't happen that way.”

Man United's pursuit of Del Piero came in 2006, following Juventus' demotion to Serie B for match-fixing.

Despite interest from the Red Devils, Del Piero decided to stay in Turin to help the club retain its Serie A status.

Years later, Sir Alex Ferguson told meindoor sport that the Italian superstar was the one who got away.

Speaking in 2021, Ferguson said: “Del Piero is the only one I would have gone crazy for.

“After a Champions League match between United and Juventus, in which he destroyed half of our defence, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville came to me and asked me to buy him at all costs, because someone like him would give us It would have made everything win for decades.

“Then I contact the Juve representatives and the boy's agent.

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“He refused even before hearing my proposal, telling me that Juve was the best place for him and that, although he respected manchester unitedI could never have betrayed the colors black and white.

“A shame, because I never saw someone like him again.”

Ferguson added: “A champion on and off the field, I courted him even just after Italy's World Cup victory.

“At the time, Real Madrid were also after him and, given the problems around Juventus at the time, I imagined that between us at United and the Galacticos, there would be a fair auction to get him.”