Rafa Benitez says he knew ‘100 per cent’ that Nemanja Vidic would choose Manchester United over Liverpool after a phone call with the defender’s girlfriend back in 2005. Then, with Spartak Moscow, Vidic was regarded as one of the top young centre-backs in European football and went on to cement himself as an all-time United great after a trophy-laden eight-and-a-half-year stay at Old Trafford. Vidic won 15 pieces of silverware with the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson but his career could have panned out very differently had he opted to join United’s arch-rivals instead all those years ago. Liverpool made a concerted effort to win Vidic over but the Merseyside outfit went on to complete a January move for Gabriel Paletta after admitting defeat in the race for the Serbian. #footballfanarena #ffa #manchesterunited #liverpool #rafabenitez #football #transferwindow