Nicky Butt could have been a Galactico, he told The Pitch Prospect.
A graduate of Manchester United’s academy, he was part of the team that enjoyed immense success, including the treble in 1999.
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But when his time at his boyhood club came to an end in 2004, he was not short of options and a move to United’s rivals was also discussed.
“When I left United, Man City – Stuart Pearce was in charge – called me and asked me to leave,” Butt explained.
However, the Gorton-born midfielder recalled it was a non-starter.
“That couldn’t really happen because of the dynamics of my life in Manchester and my family, they wouldn’t have had any lives, so it would have been a disaster to begin with.”
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“It would have been fine for me because I could have stayed out of the way, but my immediate family would have been in a lot of trouble.”
“Arsenal was different. The big one was Stuart Pearce, he called me but it could never have happened.”
When asked about the potential move to Arsenal, Butt insisted that nothing much would come of it. Instead, Real Madrid were keen on him.
A year before his departure, Carlos Queiroz gave up his role as Alex Ferguson’s assistant to take charge at the Bernabeu, where president Florentino Perez was building his Galacticos team that already included Ronaldo, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.
“He came and asked about me,” Butt added, recalling the summer of 2004 when he was on a pre-season tour of America with United.
“I had a discussion with him and almost went there. I almost did a Valencia deal.”
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Butt explained that Fergie had put an end to his move to Spain. “[Quieroz] I talked to myself about moving to Real Madrid and asked the manager who said: No, he wouldn’t sell me to them.
“Then Newcastle came into the game late and that was the club I wanted to go to, so I got on a plane, flew from Chicago and flew straight to Newcastle.”
Real Madrid eventually signed Thomas Gravesen from Everton to fill that position in the middle of the pitch.
Butt recalled: “They had so many superstars doing whatever they wanted on the pitch, they needed someone to take care of it. Obviously Carlos was close to me as a coach and liked me.”
Butt was a tireless midfielder who was much more than just the aggressive reputation he earned. He could have been invaluable to Real, having played in a team full of stars himself.
His own position had Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, while he also named Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Eric Cantona as teammates.
He won six Premier League titles with Manchester United, three FA Cups and four Community Shields before deciding it was time to go.
He moved to Newcastle where he stayed for six years, helping them win the league in the 2009/10 season. As captain, he lifted the trophy in his final act.