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JOHANNESBURG. — South African football icon and Leeds United legend Lucas Radebe has revealed why he turned down an offer to join Manchester United during his playing days.

Speaking to The Athletic, the 51-year-old former defender said he believed more in values, and therefore had to remain loyal to Leeds United who signed him from Kaizer Chiefs in 1994.

“I believed in values. Coming from South Africa, our tradition and culture was embedded in me. I was lucky to be taken to the English Premier League by Leeds United. So I had to be loyal to the club,” Radebe told The Athletic.

The Soweto-born legend added he also had offers from both Lazio and Roma but snubbed them because he had already settled at Leeds and wanted to grow with the club both as a person and a footballer.

“I had an opportunity to go to Manchester United and I turned it down. Lazio, Roma, I turned them down too. I had settled well at Leeds and they looked after me. I wanted to grow with the club as a person and a footballer,” he continued.

Radebe doesn’t believe he would have achieved what he had at Leeds elsewhere, saying trophies were never top of his priority list as a player.

“If I had gone to Manchester United or any other club, I don’t think I’d have achieved what I achieved at Leeds United,” he said.

“Forget about trophies and other things. No. To have the impact I had at that club, to be the leader I was, would I have achieved that at Manchester United?” asked Radebe.

He feels he would have been at Manchester United to add numbers and not have the same impact he had at Leeds.

“There (in Manchester) I would only have been one of the squad (members). The way I saw it, I belonged to Leeds United,” he added. — Goal.com