'Man City released me – I got my stuff and drove round the corner to sign for Man Utd'

Very fewer players person dared to marque a nonstop determination from Manchester City to Manchester United oregon vice versa, but 1 brave defender did precisely that successful 2012 aft failing to find a wide pathway of progression

It is uncommon for a footballer to transverse the disagreement betwixt bitter rivals Manchester United and Manchester City.

There person been a fig of stars who person played for some passim their careers - Peter Schmeichel, Owen Hargreaves and Brian Kidd among them. But it is fewer and acold betwixt that stars person made a nonstop switch.

Denis Law and Carlos Tevez broke the hearts of United fans erstwhile they decided to don the City bluish instantly without a grace play aft playing astatine Old Trafford. But 1 young defender took it to the adjacent level successful 2012. Frederic Veseli had spent 3 years astatine the Etihad but, wanting to genuinely marque it successful the Premier League, helium sought a determination distant from City.

As helium entered the last twelvemonth of his declaration with City, Roberto Mancini wanted to hold caller presumption with the defender. Veseli made it wide that helium would enactment should a wide pathway beryllium established, allowing him to permission connected indebtedness for captious minutes nether his belt.

Vesili spoke astir the concern successful an interrogation with The Athletic successful 2022. He said (via the MEN): "We could ne'er hold terms. Mancini would inquire maine each the clip what was happening. I carried connected playing. I played against United’s reserves who had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arsenic manager. United had a batch of first-teamers, we had reserves lone and we drew 1-1. Fergie was determination watching. I had a truly bully game."

While Veseli's show piqued the involvement of Sir Alex Ferguson, it wasn't until a accidental gathering successful a pub erstwhile the wheels began to turn. The defender bumped into United adjunct Rene Meulensteen portion going to prime his woman up from her section - erstwhile the speech betwixt the brace soon turned to shot and his concern astatine City.

Brian Marwood - who was City's shot head astatine the clip – made it wide that youngsters who were unhappy astatine the nine were escaped to permission alternatively than disrupting the equilibrium successful the team. Veseli added: "Mancini was disappointed and was ever asking maine to renew.

"I didn’t cognize what to accidental to him. My declaration was up and City released maine and signed a insubstantial saying I could permission connected a free. The adjacent day, I drove to City’s grooming crushed astatine Carrington to cod my stuff. I didn’t archer anybody what I was going to bash next. I told the gaffer that I was leaving the nine and helium asked maine wherever I was going. I told him 'United'. He couldn’t judge it, but helium had to instrumentality training. He wished maine bully luck."

United officially announced the signing of Veseli connected transportation deadline day, with the youngster adding: "I americium precise blessed and it is an honour to motion for Manchester United. I can’t hold to get started, to enactment hard and bash everything I tin to assistance the team. I americium looking guardant to showing everybody what I tin bash connected the pitch.

"I americium precise thankful to Sir Alex Ferguson for bringing maine to specified a large club. Manchester United has a agelong past of younger players coming done and hopefully I tin travel and bash the same." Unfortunately for Veseli, the determination did not beryllium fruitful.

He played conscionable 23 times for the nine astatine reserve and U21 level betwixt 2012 and 2013, earlier making the determination to Ipswich Town the pursuing year. He spent 2 seasons with the Tractor Boys, but again, ne'er made an quality for the archetypal squad - alternatively going connected loans to Bury and Port Vale.

He signed for the second connected a imperishable woody successful 2015, earlier going connected to play for Lugano, Empoli, Salernitana, Benevento and Faith Karagumruk. He is presently without a nine astatine the property of 31, and it seems arsenic though the writer didn't crook retired to beryllium greener connected the different broadside of Manchester for Veseli.

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