<
>

Steven Defour: Thwarted Manchester United move was 'quite hard'

Burnley's record signing Steven Defour has reflected on his disappointment after missing out on a 2009 move to Manchester United when he suffered an injury.

Defour, who became Burnley's record signing this summer when he joined from Anderlecht for £8 million, saw a switch from Standard Liege to United scuppered by a foot problem.

Discussing the thwarted move, he told Sky Sports: "Before my injury, it was one of the possibilities because I knew they were following me, but then came that severe injury and that was quite a hard one for me.

"It was an open fracture of my foot and I was really down because I could have played in the Champions League."

United's interest in Defour emerged when a letter from former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, consoling the player about the injury, was leaked.