This World Cup winning star wanted to sign for Manchester United

A World Cup winner and a world class midfielder has recently admitted that he would have liked to sign for Manchester United.

Italians have rarely excelled at Manchester United. Despite this, their legacy reaches far back into the club’s history.

The first Italian who paved the way was Carlo Sartori. The ginger Busby babe was one of the first overseas player to represent the club and to play in the English first division at the time during the 1950s and 60s.

Sartori made 55 appearances for the club and remains probably the best Italian to have donned the Red Devils shirt.

The players who have followed after him showed promise but could never fulfil their hype, from Giuseppe Rossi, Davide Petrucci or Federico Macheda.

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The latter is famous for scoring some important late winners in a United shirt and then rapidly vanishing into oblivion.

Matteo Darmian was the last Italian to have ventured to Old Trafford, he showed some early promise, but he has since departed for pastures new too, having failed to become a regular at the club.

It seems Italians are perpetually haunted by the theatre of dreams.

Or perhaps, United have just not signed the right ones.

It could have been a lot different had Daniele De Rossi‘s dream came true.

In 2006 De Rossi was just 23 years of age when he reached the pinnacle of his career. The Italian holding-midfielder helped to guide his nation to a famous and unprecedented World Cup victory.

Daniele De Rossi’s composure and tough tackling made him a key player for the Italian side.

At the time, there were many top clubs vying for De Rossi’s services.

Ultimately the Italian midfielder ended up staying put at his boyhood club Roma. He made 616 appearances for the Italian club, before moving to Boca Juniors last summer and spending his final season prior to retirement with the Argentinian giants.

Now as he looks to hang up his boots, Daniele De Rossi gave an interview to Sky Sports via the Metro where he admitted he ‘would have liked to play for Manchester United.’ De Rossi declared that he ‘always love Man United’ ever since he ‘was a kid.’

Ultimately Daniele De Rossi’s desired move to Old Trafford never came to be.

However one has to wonder, if things turned out differently, surely De Rossi would have been the first Italian to truly excel with the Red Devils.

We’ll only know in another lifetime. Another reality.

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Would you have like to seen Daniele De Rossi in a United shirt?