Vincent Kompany: Ex-Man City captain reveals interest from Man Utd

Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany recently revealed that he was personally scouted by legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson before eventually moving to the sky blue half of the city.

Kompany was a prodigious graduate of Anderlecht's academy at the start of the 21st century, emerging as a first-choice option in the back four while he was still 17.

Half a decade before the towering Belgian joined City in 2008, the same summer that the club was taken over Sheikh Mansour, Kompany's first Champions League away day was a trip to Celtic Park.

The Bayern Munich boss was back in Glasgow for the first leg of their Champions League knockout play-off tie on Wednesday. When asked about that landmark occasion in 2003, Kompany didn't focus on the events on the pitch - Anderlecht lost 3-1 - but the figures in the stand.

"It's not a nostalgic return," Kompany told assembled media this week. "I'm coming back as a coach, not a player. I don't want to bring in too much nostalgia, but it was great. I remember Sir Alex Ferguson was there to watch me. If I'd played well, maybe he would've made an offer for me."

A 17-year-old Kompany and his teammates proved no match for an inspired Celtic side that night in 2003. Fresh from reaching the UEFA Cup final, a burst of goals from Henrik Larsson, Liam Miller and Chris Sutton fired the Hoops into a 3-0 lead within the opening half-hour.

Kompany continued to develop at his boyhood club and eventually left Anderlecht for Hamburg in 2006, later joining City after two middling campaigns in Germany.

City finished tenth in the Premier League at the end of Kompany's debut campaign, but he ended his career at the Etihad with four top-flight titles and a pair of FA Cup crowns. "I'm glad I ended up at the blue side of Manchester," the Bayern boss grinned.

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