Sir Alex Ferguson came close to signing Jeremy Menez The Sport Review

Jeremy Menez has revealed he came close to joining Manchester United while in his teens, with Sir Alex Ferguson interested in signing the French attacking midfielder.

The 25-year-old, who currently plays for Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, travelled to Old Trafford to talk to the United manager and was shown around the club’s facilities.

However, Menez – who was aged 15 when he met the Red Devils boss – opted against moving to the Premier League and decided to stay at Sochaux before joining Monaco in 2006.

“It was great fun. It is a club with a great coach, great players and I was flattered that they were interested in me,” he told L’Equipe.

“In Mr Ferguson’s office, my brother and I had a long talk and he explained to me what he wanted to do with me. It was too early, though, for me to go abroad.

“I did think about it. You think maybe it is now or never. But in such moments you have to remain calm. I had already been at Sochaux for three years and was in no rush to leave.

“I remember visiting the training centre and seeing the first team players – notably Mikael Silvestre.

“Then we had a meeting with Ferguson. I was impressed, he is a coach with so many titles. I didn’t say much, I just listened to what he told me.

“He even spoke about wages. He is a very honest man and doesn’t say things just to get you to sign.”

Menez is part of Laurent Blanc’s 23-man squad for Euro 2012 but he did not feature in France’s 1-1 draw with England on Monday.