“Man City released me so I drove to Man United instead and signed there.” | Soccer | Sports

Frédéric Veseli was still a teenager when he joined an elite group that boasted names such as Dennis Law and Carlos Tevez. Veseli was just 19 years old and was a talented player alongside Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and David Silva at Manchester City, but first-team opportunities at the Etihad Stadium were hard to come by.

After three and a half years without making an appearance in the top flight, Veseli has chosen to move on. His subsequent choices were not only unexpected, but also surprisingly local. Manager Roberto Mancini wanted Veseli to sign a new contract, but his ambition to improve his footballing career prompted a move to Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson playing a role in swaying the defender’s decision.

Veseli’s former agent, Adam Bouscouch, previously explained: “Manchester City are chasing titles and big trophies these days. It’s hard to believe in the youngsters because they obviously feel experience is the best way to get where they want to go.

“But that attitude didn’t help Freddie and he felt he wasn’t progressing. Freddie has spoken to several clubs at home and abroad, but he wants to be a top player in England.

“Sir Alex was very impressive when I spoke to him. He’s a hard man to say no to and his track record was good enough for Freddie to feel he was making the right choice to join United.”

Veseli remained in City’s reserve team through the final year of his contract and Ferguson was present at one of the matches as negotiations progressed. “We could never agree on terms,” ​​the 33-year-old recalls.

“Mancini was always asking me what was going on. I kept playing. I played with United’s substitutes, who are managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjær. United had a lot of first-team players, we only had substitutes, and we drew 1-1. Fergie was there watching too. We had a really good game.”

But the groundwork for a potential move to United had already begun before the iconic Scotland manager’s first involvement. A chance meeting with then-United assistant Rene Meulensteen in a local pub while Veseli was picking up his girlfriend sparked a debate about his situation at City.

“Mancini was disappointed and was constantly asking me to renew. I didn’t know what to say to him. My contract had expired and City released me and signed the papers saying I could leave for free,” said Veseli.

“The next day I drove to City’s training ground in Carrington to collect my things. I hadn’t told anyone what I was doing next. I told the manager I was leaving the club.”

“He asked me where I was going. I told him ‘United’. He couldn’t believe it, but I had to train. He wished me luck.”

Veseli’s spell at Old Trafford was short-lived, lasting just one season without making any first-team appearances before he was sacked in the summer of 2013. He played for Ipswich Town, Bury, Port Vale and Lugano before moving to Empoli in Italy, where he spent the next four years.

After a whirlwind five years with five different clubs, Veseli is now with Serie B side Südtirol. Meanwhile, the Manchester rivals are set to clash at Old Trafford this Saturday, with City looking for their second win over United following their 3-0 win at the Etihad earlier this season.