Ribery 'wasn't good enough' for Man United
Sir Alex Ferguson rejected the chance to sign Franck Ribery for Manchester United back in 2006 after watching him for just 45 minutes.
This revelation is from a set of diaries of former politician and close friend of Alex Ferguson, Alastair Campbell, which is being published in 'The Sunday Times'.
Campbell was with the then United boss when Ribery, playing for Marseille at the time, faced Bolton Wanderers in a UEFA Cup clash in February 2006.
Ribery was 22 at the time and about to be named Ligue 1's Young Player of the year, but Ferguson had made his mind up by half-time about the French winger.
Campbell wrote: "Alex was watching Franck Ribery, the Marseille winger, but decided by half-time he was not good enough for United."
Ribery would have one more season with Marseille in Ligue 1 before joining Bayern Munich in June 2007, and he has since won seven Bundesliga title and one Champions League.
Cambpell's diaries also reveal further details about Ferguson's explosive relationship with Roy Keane.
Ferguson laid into the former United captain in his own autobiography and Campbell wrote: "He [Ferguson] felt Keane had what it took in so many ways but he had demons and they would come out.
"He was actually someone who didn't like people that much unless they met his own standards.
"I said you used to say he was the most intelligent player you'd had and the one likeliest to be a top manager. He went 'Wrong. There is something not right there.'"