Gary Neville has revealed that he tried to convince Keith Gillespie to stay at Manchester United in 1995 but the winger was set on a move to Newcastle United.
Neville and Gillespie came through the ranks together as part of the Class of 92 alongside Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.
Although the pair both made their first team debuts just a few months after winning the FA Youth Cup, it was Neville who ultimately nailed down a place in the starting line-up.
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Gillespie eventually found himself being offered to Newcastle by Sir Alex Ferguson as part of Manchester United's £7m bid to sign Andy Cole - much to Neville's despair.
"We used to have these steep stairs that went down to the gym from the medical room in the Cliff," he said on Carragher and Neville's ultimate transfer special. "I remember hearing about it in the gym and going, 'No!'
"Keith has the same birthday as me and we were close. I remember walking up the steps and meeting him halfway and saying, 'You don't have to go. Say no.'
"He said, 'I'm part of the deal. I get a big contract. I spoke to Kevin Keegan. He really wants me'. I said, 'You'll play here. Stay.' But he made his mind up. He was part of the deal.
"My big thing with that deal was not that Coley was coming in - I obviously didn't know him at the time - but that we were losing Keith and Keith was one of us. When one of us left, it was hard work. You didn't want your own to leave."
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