Former Leeds United defender Lucas Radebe has revealed that he turned down opportunities to move to Manchester United, Roma and Lazio during his time with the Whites.
The South African spent 11 years at Elland Road and made more than 200 appearances for the Yorkshire club.
Radebe was a Leeds stalwart in the late 1990s and early 2000s, playing his part in some of the club's most memorable moments from the last three decades, including the UEFA Cup run in 1999/00 and the Champions League run the following season.
The 51-year-old represented just two clubs throughout his entire career, South African side Kaiser Chiefs and Leeds, but, speaking to The Athletic, he revealed that he turned down offers from a number of big European clubs, including rivals Manchester United.
He said: "I believed in values.
“Coming from South Africa, our tradition and culture was embedded in me. I was lucky to be taken to the Premier League by Leeds United so I’d be loyal to the club. I had an opportunity to go to Manchester United and I turned it down. Lazio, Roma, I turned them down too. I’d settled well at Leeds and they looked after me. I wanted to grow with the club, as a person and a footballer.
“If I’d gone to Manchester United or any other club, I don’t think I’d have achieved what I achieved at Leeds United. Forget about trophies and other things. No. To have the impact I did at that club, to be the leader I was, would I have achieved that at Manchester United? There I would only have been one of the squad. The way I saw it, I belonged to Leeds United.”
Injuries hampered the late part of Radebe's career with Leeds and he retired at the end of the 2004/05 season, following a testimonial at Elland Road.
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The Verdict
The news that Radebe snubbed Manchester United, among others, to remain at Elland Road is likely to make the former Whites defender even more popular among fans of the club.
The South African central defender was a fantastic servant to the Whites and it cannot have been easy to turn down a move to Old Trafford, who were growing into a footballing superpower at the time.
Such a move could have seen him become something of a villain, rather than the hero that he remains in the minds of many of the Elland Road faithful.