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Gerrard: Fergie wanted to buy me

Steven Gerrard has been at Liverpool all his career © PA Photos

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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has claimed Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign him for Manchester United, and that Jose Mourinho made an enquiry after being appointed Real Madrid manager.

Gerrard has been with Liverpool throughout his career, and rumours of him leaving the club have appeared only infrequently since he was strongly linked with a move to Chelsea in the Mourinho days.

However, he has revealed that several clubs have attempted to lure him away from Anfield down the years.

"That sort of thing has been going on for the last 10 years," Gerrard told the Daily Mail. "People only really heard about it with Mourinho and Chelsea in 2004 and 2005. But it has happened a few times.

"It was flattering back then because the two best managers around wanted me to play in their teams. Gary Neville said he [Ferguson] wanted me. But you understand that playing for Manchester United would have been impossible. I never would have wanted to play for Manchester United. They are a fantastic club but that rivalry is there, and it's why Gary could not have played for us either.

"Don't get me wrong. It was flattering that, after everything he has done in the game, Sir Alex Ferguson wanted me to play in his team. But that was an impossible situation.

"The Mourinho thing was different, of course. This club weren't really challenging at the time, so there was something to think about. But I ended up saying no and a year later I said no again.

"But he came back when he arrived at Real Madrid two years ago. I look at some players who get interest from clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona and they cause absolute wars to get out and get there. But that has never been me and, again, it just wasn't going to happen. I was happy here. I was settled. I thought all that had gone really."

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