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It is no secret that Oldham Athletic were interested in appointing me as Lee Johnson’s successor at the club, and it was an offer that really tempted me. Even as I watched them in the Port Vale game on Tuesday, having made my decision not to take the job, there was part of me that wished I was in the dug-out.
I will be a manager one day. I have come to see that over the last eight months, although I know that I first said that I did not see my future in coaching. And one day I believe that I will manage Oldham, the club that my dad supports and who are very close to my heart. They are a really good family club who mean a great deal to a lot of people – myself included. I just did not feel this was the right time.
When I go into management, I want to do so with 100 per cent commitment. At the moment I have a lot of responsibilities and things going on in my life that I cannot simply drop immediately. Most importantly I have a young family who need their dad around, having been away a lot during my playing career. There was no way, for example, I would ever have tried to combine a coaching job with my work on television.
Show all 15 1 /15The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery Midfield woe Many believe Manchester United’s midfield problems stem from never managing to find a replacement for Roy Keane. Continue to see the club’s decade of midfield misery…
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2003 In 2003, Man United said adios to not only Real Madrid-bound David Beckham but also Juan Sebastian Verón. Possibly originally signed as the eventual heir to Keane’s throne, the supremely gifted Argentine was not a success at the club and his exit goes down as one of Alex Ferguson’s bigger failures.
The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery Eric Djemba-Djemba arrives Arriving as Beckham and Verón left, the Cameroonian was supposed to be 'so good they named him twice'. In the end he managed only 20 league appearances for the club and within 18 months he was on his way to Aston Villa where he similarly failed to impress. By the age of 26 he was playing his football in Qatar.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery Kleberson arrives Kleberson's performances at the 2002 World Cup led to his coach Phil Scolari declaring him the driving force behind Brazil's win and Ferguson signed him for £6.5m on the same day as Cristiano Ronaldo. However his career took a slightly different path to the Portuguese winger and the Brazilian managed only 20 appearances for the Red Devils before being sold to Besiktas.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2005 – Roy Keane left the club An ever-increasingly injured Keane infamously spoke out against some of his United teammates and his departure from the club was assured. He was eventually sold to Celtic. Midfield flops Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson left the club the same year.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2006 - Michael Carrick arrives A man who divides supporters’ opinions, it is hard to say whether Carrick should go down as a success or failure. Took some time to establish himself at United but eventually came to be regarded by some as their most important midfielder. However has never established himself as an England regular and some would argue that being the best midfielder from a poor selection is not the same as being a good midfielder.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2007 – Owen Hargreaves arrives Eventually labelled one of the 'most disappointing signings’' of Sir Alex Ferguson’s managerial career by the man himself, things started very well for Hargreaves at United and he was an integral part of helping the side to Champions League and Premier League glory in 2008. However the remainder of his career was blighted by injuries and he left on a free in 2011, eventually signing for rivals Manchester City.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery Anderson arrives Now on his way out of Old Trafford after six-and-a-half disappointing years, the Brazilian has never really looked like justifying his £25m price tag. For many epitomises United’s ongoing midfield problems.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery Rodrigo Possebon arrives Who? You might well ask. The Brazilian made only three first team appearances in two years for United before being sold to Santos. He now plays in the Brazilian second division.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2009 –Tom Cleverley At the club from the age of 12, Cleverley rose through the ranks to join the seniors in 2009. Impressed during a loan spell at Wigan, but has been inconsistent at best while at United.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2011 – Phil Jones arrives Technically signed as a defender, Jones has actually often been impressive when slotting into midfield. Goes down as a rare success in recent years.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2012 – Paul Scholes returns from retirement Things got so bad for United that Scholes had to come out of his recent retirement to help out. Proved to be useful on his return but it was a fairly damming verdict on the rest of United’s midfielders.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery Shinji Kagawa arrives A key part of the success of Borussia Dortmund, much excitement greeted the signing of Kagawa. However for one reason or another he has failed to replicate the same form at United and currently is proving something of a disappointment.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery Paul Pogba left the club Described by Zinedine Zidane as one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest mistakes during his Manchester United career, the French youngster was allowed to leave for Juventus on a free. Currently tearing up Serie A and wanted back by United, the midfielder is now valued at £40m. Ouch.
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The story of Manchester United's decade of midfield misery 2013 – Marouane Fellaini The only midfield signing in a disastrous summer of transfer dealing for United. Fellaini was considered very overpriced and has subsequently failed to really impress at United.
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Managing a club like Oldham has to be an all-absorbing, seven days a week commitment. That is how Lee made such a success of it. One day I will be ready to do that. This was the right job, just at the wrong time.
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