The story shows that Michael Carrick spent time on one side of the North Londoner.
But a future World Cup winner who hadn’t played a “blind” could have made Carrick’s career nearby.
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Thanks to four impressive seasons at West Ham United, Carrick made a name for himself as one of the brightest prospects in England.
Carrick, a midfielder with the metronomic passability, quickly won many admirers.
His conspicuous displays in Upton Park also brought him an assignment in England when he made his senior international debut against Mexico in May 2001.
Before the 2004/05 season, Carrick was a sought -after man of many.
Harry Redknapp, who handed over his big break to the Hammers, wanted to bring the midfielder to Portsmouth.
Carrick even became medically in the Fratton Park, but soon a larger fish called.
The agent of the midfielder received a call from David Yours, who was the deputy chair of Arsenal at the time.
It didn’t take long for Carrick to sit in the house of the former Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger when the Frenchman set up his vision for the talented hammer.
Wenger even said Carrick that he would see him on Monday after Arsenal had played in the Community Shield Manchester United.
But a second meeting never appeared.
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In his autobiography Michael Carrick: Carrick revealed between the lines how a certain teenager derailed his arsenal transfer.
“I saw that a child, CESC Fabregas, only 17, started in (Patrick) Vieira’s place,” said Carrick.
“Fabregas played a blind man, but I didn’t think too much about the meaning.
“I was sitting at home on Sunday evening and was waiting for the call to arrange details for the next day. Arsenal! I couldn’t wait.
“But I waited and waited, and this call never came.
“The next day I had to train in West Ham and called David (Carricks Agent) on the way to say that he had a call from yours.
“David passed on the core of his message, such as: ‘I’m sorry, the manager says we don’t need Michael. Fabregas comes through. I’m sorry, the deal is over.’
“Wenger has changed the performance of Fabregas to need me.”
Fabregas, who came from Barcelona to Arsenal’s academy, made over 300 appearances for the Gunners and won the FA Cup in 2005.
As for Carrick, he would soon get his move away.
And it wasn’t terribly far away where he thought he should go.
Days after the Arsenal Snub, Carricks Agent received a call from Frank Arnessen, sports director of that time Tottenham Hotspur.
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The deal was completed within a few days, but maybe a little too quickly for the former Spurs manager Jacques Santini when Carrick raised the lid on a chaotic opening day in the club in an interview with FOURFOURTWO.
“He (Santini) didn’t seem to know who I was – it was a very strange moment,” said Carrick.
“I arrived on Spurs’ training site and said to my consultant Dave:” I am not sure that he knows who I am. “He said,” I think you are right. “
“I had signed this morning, so everything agreed to the club and I went to his office to meet him. It was strange.
“I ended up with the reserve team on my first day of training and later found that I had signed more from Frank Arnesen, the Spurs sports director.”
Carrick only spent two seasons in the White Hart Lane and performed 75 appearances before he joined the English power pack Manchester United in 2006.
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It was the last step of Carrick’s career as a player when he played 464 times for the Red Devils until his retirement in May 2018.
In Old Trafford, Carrick won with full five Premier League titles, a FA Cup, three EFL cups, the Champions League, the Europa League and the World Cup.
Who knows whether he had enjoyed a similar trophy route had not played a blindly against United all the years ago.