Former Manchester United defender, Michael Keane, has revealed that the Red Devils were interested in bringing him back to Old Trafford this summer.
Michael Keane joined Everton from Burnley during the summer transfer window for around £28.5 Million after an impressive season in the Premier League for the Clarets last term.
The England international played a major role in helping Sean Dyche’s avoid relegation from the Premier League and his good form for the club earned him an England call-up, followed by a big money move to Everton during the off-season, with the defender now provided with an opportunity to play European football with the Merseyside club.
Keane could have even joined a bigger club than Everton as he has revealed in a recent interview that his former side Manchester United were interested in acquiring his services. However, the promising defender rejected the move back to Old Trafford and explained that his desire to play regular football triumphed against his wishes to move back to the club he supported as a kid.
Speaking to the Times, the 24-year-old international said, “They [United] were in touch with my agent and showed a lot of interest. They wanted me, but a few things happened and I thought Everton would be the best place for me to come.
“I thought I would get a lot of game time here, more than I possibly would at Manchester United, and that was a massive factor in my decision.
“To be honest, having been at Burnley for three years, I wasn’t a fan of the club like I used to be. I wasn’t as big a fan of Man United as I had been, so I had to sort of put that to one side and just think rationally about what would be best for me as a footballer.”
He also revealed in the interview that he had consulted with the people from his former club before making the difficult decision to snub the Red Devils in favor of Everton.
He continued in the interview, “My family are all Man United fans so it was not an easy decision. My dad would have been delighted if I had signed for United. But he is glad I have come to Everton and not Liverpool, put it that way.”
“United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and it is not an easy decision to make. I thought about it all throughout the summer and a bit longer. I spoke to my family, friends, agent, I got advice from people I used to work with at United. Loads of different people.
“In the end, I came to the decision of joining Everton and I am thankful I did that because it is going to be the best thing for me in the long run.”
Keane, who was born in Manchester, played for the youth team of the Red Devils for a number of years and also made two appearances for the English giants.
