Paolo Di Canio has revealed the night he told Sir Alex Ferguson to: "F**k off!"
The Sunderland manager has revealed he was approached by the retiring Manchester United boss twice during his playing days at West Ham.
But both times he thought the mumbling Scottish voice on the other end of the phone was a friend playing a prank, rather than the Red Devils' legendary boss.
As he paid a warm tribute to a man he called "the Football God", Di Canio admitted: "He called me two Christmas Days in a row and I thought it was my friend.
"I said 'f**k off'. He said, 'No, Paolo, this is Alex.' I said, 'Alex who? Is this you, you mother-f***er?'
"It was so strange - I didn't understand the first few words!
"It was incredible to think about, especially as I was 31. He wanted me to play behind the strikers because Sheringham was nearly 40 and ready to quit.
"I thought, 'This is mad that he wants me.' I thought it was a joke, but I said I couldn't go. I was captain then and I could not move there because of the welcome West Ham had given me.
"It was a fantastic moment and gave me more energy because he was an important manager and you think you are a top footballer. I didn't have high esteem.
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"A few years ago, I was commentator on Italian TV for Man Utd-Arsenal in the Champions League. United won with a fantastic counter-attack goal, Rooney and Ronaldo.
"I went down to the car park, where the two coaches were. I remember that Ferguson saw me and he got out from the coach and shouted: 'Paolo, Paolo' and he came to me and said: 'How are you?' We hugged.
"It was another incredible moment for me. That gave me another dimension of the man and values of him as a person, and his respect for people.
"Now, one of the regrets of my career will be that my enemy in the dug-out will not be The Professor, The Football God, Ferguson. I am very sad that will not happen.
"He is the Unique One. Let him stay relaxed now, because what he has done will remain forever in this sport and even in 50 years people will be talking about this unique man."
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