I scored four goals for Man United – Sir Alex Ferguson wanted me but I had to do army service

Teemu Tainio revealed he had to abandon a potential contract with Manchester United due to mandatory military service.

The 45-year-old Finnish defensive midfielder, who made a name for himself in Ligue 1 with Auxerre from 1997 to 2005, impressed during a two-week training spell with Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils, even scoring four goals in two reserve games. While Tainio claims Ferguson was keen on bringing him to the north west of England permanently, his obligations to Finland took precedence.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Tainio said: "I trained for two weeks with Man United and it was a great experience. I played two games for the reserves and I scored four goals. I had to go back to Finland to complete my army service. I was supposed to go to Auxerre for a year and then move to Old Trafford. I talked with Sir Alex Ferguson and he wanted to sign me."

In Finland, all able-bodied men between 18 and 29 are required to serve between 165 and 347 days in the military, with alternative non-military service available as well. It worked out alright for Taino in France and he left to join Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in 2005.

During his time with Spurs, he made 83 appearances and won a League Cup in the 2007/08 season before transferring to Sunderland AFC. Following a two-year spell on Wearside, Tainio went on to play for Ajax, New York Red Bulls and HJK Helsinki before retiring from professional football in February 2015.

He then made the transition into management, initially serving as an assistant at Klubi 04 and Haka, before taking over the helm at the latter. Fast forward to 2025, and Tainio is currently managing Estonian Meistriliiga team Tallinna Kalev, while also acting as an assistant coach for the Finland national