Michael Ballack made the misguided decision of snubbing Manchester United for Chelsea because he believed Sir Alex Ferguson's side were on the decline.
Ballack, who celebrates his 48th birthday on September 26 was highly sought after heading into the 2006 summer transfer window following four years with Bayern Munich.
He had the attention of Europe's elite, including the likes of Real Madrid and AC Milan. But the German midfielder chose the Premier League as his next destination.
United had been interested in securing his services - but Ballack felt they were below Chelsea in the pecking order, which made his mind up. READ MORE: I saw what Erik ten Hag did for Cristiano Ronaldo and Kobbie Mainoo - previous managers couldn't READ MORE: Jose Mourinho let rested Man United star sink pints – but then had to play him hours later Speaking to Sky Sports in 2020, he recalled: "One of the first to show interest were Man United.