Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has explained how he almost ended up joining Spurs' fierce north London rivals Arsenal. Speaking on episode eight of the Beast Mode On Podcast with Adebayo Akinfenwa, Jenas recalls how he would've loved the chance to play under Arsene Wenger, leading to the former England international needing to prove his loyalties to disgruntled Spurs fans.
Getty Images SportJenas wanted Arsenal move – and Tottenham fans didn't forget
Looking back at his decision to quit Newcastle in 2005, Jenas said: "When I left Newcastle I thought I was going to Arsenal. That didn't transpire, and I was like: 'Look, I need to get out', and I ended up at Tottenham. Me and the Tottenham fans got off to a slow start because of that, because in their minds they were like: 'You wanted to go to Arsenal, and now you're here'. I did [want to go to Arsenal]. Arsene Wenger was there, the Pep Guardiola of football at that time. If you want to go to Harvard and gain a better education, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal was where it's at as a young player."
AdvertisementAFPSaying 'no' to Sir Alex Ferguson & Manchester United
Jenas began his career at Nottingham Forest, with his performances as a teenager attracting the interest of some high-profile clubs, including Manchester United and then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He ultimately decided to join Newcastle in 2002 as he targeted regular first-team football, explaining that he did think seriously about a switch to Old Trafford. He said: "There were three clubs [interested in signing him] at the time. Bear in mind I'm playing for my hometown club, I'm captain, I've literally just bought a flat on the river Trent. I was in heaven.
"We had a day off on a Wednesday once and I got a phone call from Paul Hart, who was my manager at Forest at the time, and he just said: 'Look, I need you to come in.' He said to me: 'Three clubs have put in a bid; Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson have bid £3 million because he [Sir Alex] said: 'It's an honour to play for the football club and I'm not paying a penny more'. 'David O'Leary and Leeds, Champions League team. He's going to bid £5 million, he wants you, but you're not going there'. And Newcastle have bid £5 million, and the car's going to be here in an hour'.
"I was doing the maths – it takes a lot longer to get from Newcastle… In Paul's defence, he'd just left Leeds and he knew what was happening there so he was like: 'You're not going there'. Forest, at that particular time, financially, there was talk of them going into administration and they needed the money. So the Newcastle bid was more beneficial to them. In my mind, I was like: 'I need to consider [Manchester] United'. But the reality was, was I going to play there? If I'm going to leave Forest I want to be starting week in, week out. I was 18, at that particular time it made me the third most expensive teenager in the world, behind R9 and Robbie Keane, so there was a lot of pressure around it."
Getty Images SportThe challenges of facing Patrick Vieira & Steven Gerrard
Jenas came up against some of the world's top players during his career, including Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, as well as his England team-mate Steven Gerrard. He recalls: "I came up against Vieira instantly [after joining Newcastle], and my second game was Liverpool away; Gerrard and Danny Murphy. It was just like: 'You're in the deep end, sink or swim.' The Vieira one was eye opening, to say the least. Vieira was way more technical than people give him credit for. He wasn't just a physical specimen. He'd flick the ball over your head, he'd do Cruyff turns on you, he'd run past you with the ball. He was ridiculously technical.
"Stevie treats like you've walked in his house with your shoes on. That's his vibe. You go to Anfield, against Steven Gerrard, you're going to know about it. He never let you down, and that's why he was so hard to play against. In my opinion he's the best of the midfield trio (Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes) that gets spoken about because of every element to his game. He was just a different beast."
Watch the Beast Mode On Podcast episode with guest Jermaine Jenas
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