Di Canio: I was tapped-up by Ferguson

  • by Staff Writer
  • Saturday, 1st October 2011

Former Hammer Paolo Di Canio has claimed that he was tapped-up by current Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson - on two seperate occasions.

The Premier League strictly prohibits clubs contacting players who are under contract at another club. However this is exactly what happened according to Di Canio.

Speaking to the Swindon Advertiser, Di Canio revealed that he received calls from Ferguson twice - but spurned both offers to move north.

"While at West Ham I turned down the chance to play for Manchester United twice," said the former terrace favourite. "Sir Alex Ferguson called me around Christmas time two years in a row and both times I said no.

"Even if I was close to the end of my career with the last chance to play in the Champions League or play to win something more, I was sure that I should stay with West Ham because it was more important for me to create something special and remain forever within a club like West Ham’s history.

"I remain in their heart like they remain in my heart, because every time I went there for the last four years the fans always took to me as though I was still playing for them. Obviously Lazio is in my blood, but West Ham is the place where I feel I belong and feel happy in life."

Manchester United did make at least one offical offer to sign the mercurial Italian in January 2002, when a £1.5million bid was rejected by the Hammers. Yet according to Di Canio the deal fell through because his gardener threatened to poison his pet fish.

"The man who feeds my piranhas says he will kill them if I leave, so I said I won't go," he claimed. "I begged him not to kill them as they are like my children. So now the fish are happy..."

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