A Ballon d’Or winner has previously admitted that he regrets not playing for Manchester United alongside two legends of British football.
This week, the Ballon d’Or was the talk of the town once more as Harry Kane was announced as the 2026 winner, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
The 33-year-old England captain became the first Englishman to win football’s most illustrious individual award since Michael Owen, who won in 2001.
Kane made his name in English football when he became a key player at Tottenham Hotspur, earning him a big-money move to Bayern Munich, which gave him the platform to become the best player in world football.
Ballon d’Or Winner ‘Regrets’ Not Playing for Manchester United Alongside 2 Legends
Speaking to TNT Sports back in 2016, 2003 Ballon d’Or winner Pavel Nedved admitted that he regrets not playing for United.
During a brilliant career, Nedved played for the likes of Sparta Prague, Lazio and Juventus, scoring 147 goals in 669 club appearances.
However, the 54-year-old previously stated that he wishes he had the chance to play at Old Trafford, saying that he ‘admired’ iconic British duo Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Nedved said:
“A regret? That I never played for Manchester United, I’d have liked that. The transfer was never on the table though, there was only Chelsea.
“I liked the generation of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, who I admired. I was a little bit jealous of Karel Poborsky who played in Manchester and experienced great matches. I know he still feels that love.”
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Who Was Pavel Nedved’s Best Teammate?
During the same interview, Nedved was asked to pick out the best teammate of his career.
In response, the Czech named Sweden legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but revealed that the striker needed polishing when he first moved to Juventus from Ajax back in 2004.
Nedved explained: “In terms of teammates, I’ve had a lot and I don’t want to offend anyone.
“If I had to say one though, I’d say Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He’s a striker who can cut through defences, he has scary power and height, as well as excellent technique.
“That said, when he came to Juventus he couldn’t finish. What you see today is mainly down to the fact Fabio Capello took him for a half hour of shooting practice after every training session.”
After Juventus, Ibrahimovic went on to play for teams like Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy.
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