Legendary Germany and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has conceded that he should have joined Manchester United when he had the opportunity.
One of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, Kahn remains a legendary figure in Germany and at Bayern Munich, where he won numerous titles during his 14-year stint.
However, the 48-year-old revealed that he came close to joining Manchester United towards the end of his career and admits that he should have taken the leap.
The former goalkeeper stressed that he wanted to create a new era at Bayern Munich during that time and it played a big role in his decision to reject overtures from Manchester United.
Kahn told German sports magazine Sport Bild: “[Sir] Alex Ferguson is still mad at me.
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“He firmly believed that I would move to Manchester United in 2003 or 2004, but shaping a new era at Bayern was more important to me.
“Looking back, I think I should have done it then. It would have been a nice challenge for me.”
Kahn also suffered a heartbreaking loss to Manchester United in the Champions League final in 1999, when Ferguson’s men scored two late goals to lift the trophy.
However, Kahn joked about forgetting the last two minutes and said: “The final against Manchester United is inside me as a Champions League victory.
“I just deleted the last two minutes.”
Ferguson struggled to settle on a first choice goalkeeper following Peter Schmeichel’s retirement in 1999 and tried his luck with shot-stoppers such as Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi, Fabian Barthez, Roy Carroll and Tim Howard before signing Edwin van der Sar from Fulham in 2005.
