Manchester United midfielder Daley Blind has revealed that he rejected the chance to sign for Arsenal when he was 16 years old.
The Netherlands international was at Ajax at the time, and he opted to stay put, despite the Gunners offering him an "incredible" contract.
"I had the chance to move to London at a young age," The Mirror quotes Blind as saying. "I was in the Ajax academy and one day I came home from school. My mum and dad said to me, 'Arsenal have called today. They want you.'
"I thought they were taking the mickey. It was my dream to be a player in the first team of Ajax but we went to Arsenal. We were there for a day - it was great. They offered to sort out everything for my schooling, so I could get my A-Levels.
"They also offered me an incredible contract, especially for a boy of my age. Ajax offered me a contract too at the same time. The money was nowhere near what I could earn at Arsenal. My dad left it up to me and I decided to stay at Ajax."
Blind, who moved to Old Trafford from Ajax last year, added that his desire to stay in Holland came from an ambition to follow in his father Danny's footsteps.
Danielle Joynson
