Shay Given is a Premier League icon these days, but before he had even kicked a proffesional football he had already got on the wrong side of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Given, when he was 15-years-old, was handed a trial with Manchester United. Speaking to talkSPORT, he revealed: “I had a trial at Man Utd and they actually offered me a contract, but I turned them down in favour of a move to Celtic!

“My dad and I felt that playing first-team football could be achieved more quickly since Celtic had Packie Bonner, who was 34, while United had Peter Schmeichel, who was just entering his peak.

Given, however, never made his debut for the Hoops despite betting on himself, and instead forced to return to Ireland after his contract expired.

“I left Celtic at 18 and had to go back to Ireland and stay at home for a month or two because I did not have a club before Blackburn offered me a contract.”

Given joined Blackburn Rovers in 1994 before joining Newcastle United three years later, despite only making two Premier League appearances for Rovers.

Given continued: “If you had have said then when I was back in Donegal that three years later I’d be rocking out at St James’ Park in the Champions League with the number one jersey on my back, people would have looked at me and gone, ‘Yeah, good one, mate,’ because that was just a dream.”

The Irishman went on to become a hero at St James’ Park, and he spend over a decade in the north east, making 354 appearances, but only lifting one minor trophy, the Intertoto Cup in 2006.