Wayne Rooney claims Sir Bobby Robson tried to sign him from Everton towards the end of his spell as Newcastle United manager.
Rooney went on to sign for Manchester United for a fee of £30 million, scoring over 200 goals for the club to date.
How Different It Could Have Been
After backing a charity auction for the late Sir Bobby, Rooney told of his love for a "football man to the core" and said Robson had tried to poach him from Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2004.
Rooney also claimed he was aware of the impact that Robson had on England and called him "the best manager of the national team" since Sir Alf Ramsey.
The current England captain went on to say it was an "honour" to lead his national side.
Robson Family Tributes
Robson's son Mark spoke on the behalf of the family.
Speaking after Rooney's comments, Mark said his dad would have "loved" to manage him in one of his previous teams. He also expanded by stating players like Paul Gascoigne and Rooney had "genius skills".
Other big names who have supported the auction include Sir Bobby's former translator, Jose Mourinho and former opposite number, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Auction Success
The annual auction is always a huge success and the money it raises alongside the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation supports life-saving research and international projects into the battle against cancer.
A lot of Robson's former clubs have contributed prizes to the charity event. These include the chance to watch a Barcelona training session and match, and pre-match hospitality packages at PSV Eindhoven and Ipswich Town. Other sports have got involved too, as VIP NFL and Rugby Union matchday packages are also available.
Sir Alex and Mourinho have also donated signed shirts and memorabilia.
The auction has raised over £700,000 in the four years that it has been active.