Arsenal icon Alan Smith once turned down Sir Alex Ferguson during a telephone conversation before signing for the Gunners. Smith represented Leicester from 1982 to 1987, netting 84 goals during his spell there. His outstanding performances for the Foxes attracted Ferguson's attention, who was only months into his Manchester United reign when he contacted the striker.

To Smith's amazement, he received an unexpected phone call from the United boss in early 1987. However, the former England international, who remembers watching Coronation Street at his parents' home when his mother took the call, rejected the proposal in favour of George Graham's Arsenal.

Speaking to ex-Arsenal colleague David Seaman on the Seaman Says podcast, he revealed: "I spoke to Alex Ferguson. I was getting a bit of interest. One January evening, I was living with my mum and dad still and we were watching Coronation Street, I'll always remember it.

"The phone goes in the hall and my mum picks it up and she says, 'Alan, it's Alex Ferguson on the phone for you.' I thought she misheard the name."

"Alex had only been at United for about a year and they were struggling. So it's not like it was 'the Sir Alex' calling but he was obviously a big name, he's the Man United manager.

"I went into the hall and spoke to him. He said he wanted me to wait until the summer when I would have been a free agent. I said, 'Mr Ferguson, I'm sorry but I've made up my mind, I want to join Arsenal.' Arsenal wanted to sign me on deadline day, I had already spoken to them in a roundabout way".

"It was a short conversation, I put the phone down and thought, 'Have I done the right thing there, saying no to the Manchester United manager?' But they went four of five years really without winning anything and Alex was close to getting the sack."

Smith moved to Arsenal in March 1987 but was sent back to Leicester on loan for the remainder of the campaign. Despite his early doubts about whether he had made the correct choice, the following years in north London vindicated his decision.

He established himself at the Gunners by finding the net in the legendary First Division title-deciding clash between Arsenal and Liverpool at Anfield in 1989. Graham's team ended an 18-year drought to claim the championship in spectacular style, with Michael Thomas netting the second goal in the final moments to steal the title from Liverpool.

Smith became Arsenal's leading goalscorer for four straight seasons and secured another league championship in 1991, plus a League Cup and FA Cup double two years afterwards. He also netted the decisive strike in Arsenal's 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup final triumph over Parma.

He retired in 1995 and now, at 63, continues as a co-commentator and analyst for Sky Sports. Despite initial struggles in Manchester, Sir Alex Ferguson didn't let a botched transfer deter him at United, clinching his first league title in the 1992/93 season after securing the FA Cup in 1989/90.

The Scot, who celebrates his 84th birthday on New Year's Eve, went on to etch his name in the annals of English football as the most successful manager, boasting an impressive haul of 13 league titles.