Manchester United news: Ballon d'Or winner reveals reason why he never moved to Old Trafford

What's the story?

One of the finest midfielders of the last decade and the 2003 Ballon d'Or winner with Serie A juggernaut Juventus, Pavel Nedved has opened up about his love for the Premier League and legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, while also explaining the real reason why he didn't leave the Bianconeri, in an interview with The Telegraph.

The Czech icon ended up staying with the club until his retirement in 2009 and now serves as their Vice Chairman.

In case you didn't know...

Nedved is one of the most decorated players in Juventus history, but he failed to win the UEFA Champions League with the club, having come close in 2003, when he led his team to the final but had to sit out himself due to suspension.

The three-time Scudetto champion became only the second Czech player in history to win the coveted Ballon d'Or trophy, following a wonderful year with club and country in 2003.

Along with Gianluigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero, he was one of the few stars who decided to remain with the Old Lady, following the Calciopoli scandal in 2006.

The heart of the matter

Having won everything there was to win in Italy, when Juve got stripped of their title and relegated to Serie B, Nedved had the option to join some of the very biggest clubs in Europe, including Manchester United, coached by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson back then.

But the midfielder chose to stay with the club during the testing times, explaining that the decision to stay was easy for him. He told Jason Burt of The Telegraph: (Via MEN)

"We decided (to stay because we felt the responsibility) to return to the club exactly what we had received. The club believed in us so it was the right time to give back. That’s why it was easy.”

However, he also conceded that he was always a fan of English football, especially the Red Devils and added that he also had an offer from the club.

"My agent received some offers and I have always been a great supporter of Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson, specifically, at that time."

What's next?

Nedved failed to bring the Champions League trophy to Turin as a player, but with Cristiano Ronaldo in the current Juventus squad, he has high hopes to see the trophy in the club's cabinet by the end of the season.