takes real guts to tell Sir Alex Ferguson to take a hike, but Tony Adams managed to do it not once, but twice!
The legendary Arsenal captain is hailed as one of the greatest centre-backs in English football history, and was at the peak of his powers during the ’90s. Throughout the decade, Arsenal and Manchester United were locked in a fierce battle for Premier League supremacy, and Ferguson made a concerted effort to snag the Gunners’ star defender.
But Adams wasn’t budging, opting instead to spend his entire career with Arsenal, amassing an impressive 672 appearances. In his autobiography, ‘SOBER: Football. My Story. My Life,’ Adams, who turned 58 today (Thursday 10 October), made it clear that despite the temptation of a move to United, a Highbury departure was never actually on the table.
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“Manchester United twice tried to sign me, but I turned them down both times because I was Arsenal through and through,” he wrote. “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.
