Franck Ribery has revealed that he turned down the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to stay at Bayern Munich back in 2009.

The 33-year-old has struggled with injuries in recent times but is still regarded as one the Bundesliga’s finest imports, having arrived from Marseille for £21.5million a decade ago.

The France international was subject of a huge cash-plus-player bid by Chelsea in the late noughties, with Bayern chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge confirming an offer of £56m plus full-back Jose Bosingwa was eventually rejected.

Ribery has now admitted he did indeed snub a Stamford Bridge switch, as well as interest from Manchester United and Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, according to The Sun.

He told Kicker: “Of course I thought about a move. In 2008 or 2009, every big club wanted me: Juventus, Inter, Milan, Barca, Real, Chelsea, Manchester…

“In hindsight, I have to thank Uli Hoeness and Rummenigge for speaking regularly to me back then. I’ve now been here for ten years and have won everything. My family is doing well and I am happy.

“I have always said Bayern are my last club in Europe. I will play until my knee, my ankle or my back say ‘stop’. If I remain free of injury, I might still have two or three more years at the top level.

“I have a really good relationship with Bayern. I might become a coach after retirement, but with the youth teams.”