Roma legend De Rossi: I met Sir Alex about Man Utd

Speaking on the Overlap, De Rossi also recalled meeting former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson before they signed Michael Carrick from Tottenham.

"I followed football in England when I was younger,” De Rossi said.

“I followed Manchester United a little more, I was fascinated by you (Roy Keane) and your legacy. I really liked it.

“I was close to coming to England, it was my first option if I left Rome.

“I couldn’t go. It was Manchester United for me, I had some chances to go to other teams, but Manchester United was the one I recognised as the best club in England.”

He also recalled: “It was 2006, when I was in the airport during the World Cup and Marcello Lippi called me.

“I went there, I was scared of him, and he opened the door, brought me inside a small room and there was Sir Alex Ferguson in this room.

“He was flying from one city to another to watch the World Cup.

“Lippi said: ‘You have to go there’. I was shy, because of him, because of Lippi as well, he was scary.

“It was a three-minute moment, nothing serious, but I’d have liked to say: ‘Yes, I want to come’ because Manchester United was something huge when I was younger.”