Kevin-Prince Boateng has revealed he spurned the opportunity to become a Manchester United player in 2013 when he was playing for AC Milan, instead opting to join Schalke.
The 34-year-old has turned out for several high-profile clubs during his career, not least Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the likes of Portsmouth, Eintracht Frankfurt, Fiorentina and Besiktas, among others.
However, the now-Hertha Berlin forward could also have had Manchester United on his glittering portfolio, joining that swathe of European heavyweights, but he decided against returning to the Premier League eight years ago in favour of a move to Gelsenkirchen.
The 15-time Ghana international ultimately joined Schalke on a three-year deal in the summer of 2013 but his contract was terminated just two and a half years later, and he has since revealed that his career trajectory could have taken him to Old Trafford had he not joined Die Konigsblauen.
“I had the opportunity to move to Manchester United. I chose Germany – you saw what happened to me at Schalke,” he told Hertha’s official website.
“At some point I became intelligent. It started with Milan. I played with world stars and learned something from everyone.”
Following his premature stint at Schalke, Boateng rejoined Milan and then went on to endure a bird of passage existence across Europe, representing Las Palmas, Frankfurt, Sassuolo, Barcelona, Fiorentina, Besiktas, Monza and now Hertha, whom he started his career with.
The Berliner came through Hertha’s academy and established a starting status at the club during his formative years, before moving to Tottenham at just 20. He has now revealed that he regrets that move as he failed to make a significant impression in north London, and it possibly cost him the chance to represent Germany.
“I was 20 years old, a regular – it was all good. I was at home, my family was here,” he said of his time at Hertha.
“I should have stayed here for another two or three years, then maybe I would have become a German national player.”