Paolo Di Canio could have signed for Manchester United and Roy Keane believes he could have been a star at Old Trafford
Paolo Di Canio “almost” joined Manchester United during his career, and Roy Keane wouldn't have been upset about it.
That's according to the former Red Devils midfielder, who revealed the Italian's previous links to Old Trafford in the latest episode of The Overlap On Tour Unseen.
In the video, Premier League legends Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keaneand Ian Wright They were all in the car when the guy Paolo Di Canio He was bred by Carragher.
“You almost came to Man United, Di Canio, right?” ask.
Roy Keane then nodded and said: “You know he probably would have been decent at United.”
“I think they tried to sign him in January,” Carragher said.
Ian Wright agreed that a move to Old Trafford would have been perfect for the former West Ham star.
“What a skilled player,” he said.
It's not every day you hear Keane admit he would have backed a former rival to join Man United.
Since retiring in 2008, Di Canio revealed that he received a call from Sir Alex Ferguson asking him to join Man United on Christmas Day 2001.
“I thought it was a joke, I thought it was my friend from Italy,” Di Canio previously told Sky Sports News' Transfer Talk podcast.
“My stomach turned a little because it makes you think that you have underestimated yourself, that you are bigger than you thought.
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“Manchester United call you and try to convince you to move because they love you. For a couple of minutes you feel big and strong.”
“It was strange for me to say no to Sir Alex. I said 'thank you, thank you 1000 times, but I can't.' West Ham is the family that welcomed me at the worst moment of my life, I am the captain, I can't.'
Sir Alex probably felt unChristmas after being rejected by Di Canio, but he apparently took it well.
Di Canio said: “He told me: 'Paolo, I respect this, I love people who think this way. “You are the man I thought you were.”
At the time, United were the reigning champions and the most successful team in the Premier League, winning seven of nine titles since the league's rebranding in 1992.
But Di Canio to this day insists he has no regrets about his decision and says he owes everything to West Ham.
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He said: “In the end I stayed at West Ham and I don't regret it, even if United were the best, won the Champions League and won the leagues.
“I would never change having won those leagues during the four and a half years I wore the West Ham shirt.”
The Italian signed for West Ham in January 1999 for £1.5 million.
Then-West Ham manager Harry Redknapp said Di Canio “can do things with the ball that people can only dream of.”
Di Canio stayed at West Ham for another 18 months, after Fergie tried to sign him, before moving to Charlton Athletic in 2003.
After subsequent spells with Lazio and Cisco Roma, he retired from football in 2008, ending his 23-year career.
