I had to quit Tottenham for my dream team - Man City tried to get me but I said no way

Spurs icon Dimitar Berbatov has opened up about the time Manchester City attempted to sign him, a move he took offence to.

The Bulgarian forward began his journey at CSKA Sofia before transferring to Bayer Leverkusen in 2001. His Bundesliga success caught the attention of Spurs, where under Martin Jol's management, he scored an impressive 46 goals in 102 games after joining in 2006.

Berbatov's stellar performances eventually led to a coveted transfer to Manchester United in 2008, with Sir Alex Ferguson securing his talents for £30.75million. However, it could have been a different story, as Manchester City, managed by Mark Hughes at the time, were also keen on luring Berbatov to the Etihad in a dramatic last-minute deal.

In a candid interview with The Telegraph, Berbatov expressed his unwavering commitment to United, saying: "They [City] wanted to sign me on the last day of the market." He continued: "I told my agent 'F*** off, we're going to United'. Because of the history, the prestige, the players, the manager, the shirt. I never had any doubt that Old Trafford was the right decision," reports the Mirror.

This sentiment was solidified when Ferguson personally welcomed him at the airport, reinforcing his belief that he had made the correct choice. Reflecting on his arrival at Manchester United, Berbatov recalled: "I was shocked because it can be intimidating and especially for me, stepping out the plane and bam you see Sir Alex.

"I was like, what do I say, how do I address him, will I look stupid? I had all these questions in my head, but he was great. He took us to Carrington and the drive in the car was like science fiction. I didn't even know what to say. It was a perfect day. Exhausting, but perfect, because I had worked so hard to get there."

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Berbatov admitted it was tough to leave Spurs but he had to fulfill his childhood dream. “Tottenham was a great showcase and after a remarkable season, I started to attract interest from some of the best clubs in the world," he said. "I come from Bulgaria, a small country. In my mind, I had always dreamed of being able to climb my own mountain. The top was Manchester United.

“I knew that this train was only going to pass once in a lifetime and I didn’t want to let it pass. It was difficult to say goodbye to Tottenham, I was aware that I was going to disappoint a lot of people, but sometimes in life you have to make decisions.”

During his time at Old Trafford, Berbatov made an indelible mark, notching up 56 goals in 149 games and winning multiple trophies including two Premier League titles, two Community Shields, a League Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup. Although he earned two Champions League runner-up medals in devastating finals against Barcelona, his transfer was a success.

Meanwhile rivals Manchester City were still chasing glory, only seizing their first Premier League crown as Berbatov was beginning to wind down with United. After leaving Manchester, the forward enjoyed stints with Fulham, Monaco, PAOK, and finally Kerala Blasters, before retiring in 2018.