Manchester United approached me before hiring Van Gaal, says Conte

Published Mar. 7, 2015 11:34 a.m. ET

foxsports

Italy coach Antonio Conte has revealed that he was approached by a Premier League team last summer, strongly implied to be Manchester United.

The 45-year-old resigned from Juventus in July 2014 after having won three Serie A titles with the club and subsequently replaced Cesare Prandelli as Italy coach later that summer.

But he has suggested that United sounded him out first over taking over at Old Trafford, noting that the club in question eventually hired a new manager who had been in charge of a national team.

"The English team that looked for me ended up signing the coach of a national team," Conte told TV showGrand Hotel Chiambretti, with the coach in question seeming to be former Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal.

"But my challenge with the national team is personal. Becoming a coach where usually the job is to select players, it is inspiring."

The Red Devils had been looking for a new manager after David Moyes, the chosen successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, was fired towards the end of his disastrous first season in charge.

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