Tony Adams says Sir Alex Ferguson tried to tap him up twice but he turned down Manchester United because of his love for Arsenal
Fergie used Bryan Robson to speak to Adams on England duty before making another approach when Arsene Wenger arrived
MANCHESTER UNITED twice tried to sign me but I turned them down both times because I was Arsenal through and through.
The first time was after we had won the title in 1991.
It was at an England get-together and Bryan Robson spoke to me about it, perhaps having been asked by Sir Alex Ferguson to have a quiet word.
Tapping up? Of course, and anyone who doesn’t think it goes on in the game informally all the time is being naive.
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George Graham even once got me to have a word with David Seaman, then at Queens Park Rangers, and David ended up joining us.
At the time, the wages weren’t going to be much better, and I was stuck in my drinking and the London life with my mates and family around me.
I wouldn’t have had the tools to cope up in Manchester on my own.
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The second United approach came in ’96, in the autumn just five weeks after I had stopped drinking and in that period of uncertainty when Arsene Wenger was taking over from the sacked Bruce Rioch.
I guess Sir Alex might also have wanted me because, as well as feeling he might be strengthening United, he might be weakening Arsenal.
- SOBER: Football. My Story. My Life, published by Simon & Schuster, is out on June 1.
TOMORROW: Tony Adams on the day he called Jermain Defoe a f***ing disgrace
