Manchester United weren’t the only Premier League team to turn down the opportunity to sign Zinedine Zidane.
Back in the mid-1990s, big-spending Blackburn Rovers had the chance to sign Zidane, who was playing for Bordeaux in his native France at the time. Kenny Dalglish, the Rovers manager, approached the club’s owner Jack Walker about taking the future three-time world player of the year to Ewood Park.
However, the story goes that Walker rejected Dalglish’s idea, asking him: “Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?”
Zidane went on to win the World Cup, the European Championships, the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or. Sherwood was Blackburn captain when the Premier League in 1995, and left the club for Spurs in 1999, a few months before Rovers were relegated.
No-one can ever justify turning down the opportunity to sign Zidane because the team already had Tim Sherwood. However, United’s reason to reject the Frenchman was a little more understandable, if equally regrettable.
In the summer of 1996, United were preparing for a new Premier League campaign, after winning the double the previous season, and had their eye on signing Zidane. He was part of France’s squad that had reached the semi-finals of Euro 96, and about to leave Bordeaux.
United were interested, but there was just one problem – Eric Cantona.
The previous October, Cantona returned from his eight-month ban for a kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace fan, and was instrumental in United’s success. The club came from 12-points behind Newcastle United to win the league, with Cantona scoring in a series of 1-0 wins, and they won the FA Cup final against Liverpool thanks to a late goal from the Frenchman.
He was United’s captain, talisman and most popular player with supporters. He was also temperamental and afforded special treatment by Alex Ferguson. According to Martin Edwards, the club’s former chairman, Ferguson opted against a move for Zidane because he was worried it wouldn’t go down well with Cantona.
The two Frenchmen, both from Marseille, played in the number 10 position, and Fergie felt there wouldn’t be a place for both in his team.
However, within a year, Cantona announced his shock retirement, age just 30. A year after that, at the 1998 World Cup, Zidane led France to glory, scoring twice in the final as the country became world champions on home soil. Zidane was six years younger than his compatriot, and became the best player in the world.
In hindsight, it looks like United made a poor decision, something Edwards has admitted.
“What happened there was Zidane and Eric played in the same position and Alex was… I think he felt that if they brought Zidane in it might have upset Eric,” Edwards told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Edwards was asked if, in hindsight, if he wishes he could have found room in the team for both players.
“Well in hindsight yes,” he answered.
“Because a year later, Eric walked out, he retired a year later and Zidane was younger, so he would have continued it.”
United fans could have got to see Zidane, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs play together. What a team that would have been.
You can watch Edwards explain the decision here:
Former Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards tells @ChrisWarburton_ why the club rejected the chance to sign Zinedine Zidane #5liveDaily pic.twitter.com/ykTHEuARst
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) September 8, 2017
