I was record Man United transfer but nerves took over in awkward first training session alongside Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez
Dimitar Berbatov has revealed his awkward first training session encounter when he first joined Manchester United. The Bulgarian striker signed for the club in 2008 from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £30.75million but revealed that his nerves got the better of him on his first training session. This Man United front three of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney, was a formidable oneGetty - Contributor As he prepared to link up with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, he began over thinking and worked himself up. Speaking to the LineUp on talkSPORT, he said: “I remember travelling to the training ground for my first session and I’m thinking to myself ‘where do I sit? What do I say?’ Who am I going to engage in conversation with? “What if I look stupid? They just won the [Premier League and Champions League” he said. “The moment I stepped in the dressing room I was like s***!” He spoke of his Bulgarian heritage and what it meant for him and his family to join one of the biggest clubs in world despite his humble beginnings of playing with a pigs bladder back home. “I was intimidated but one of the reasons why was because I come from a small country.” The former striker insisted that manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who met him at the airport when he arrived, was very nice and reassured him that everything would be fine. Berbatov joked that he was told he’d have a “week off” by Ferguson after signing, but on arrival was told they had to face Liverpool in a few days time. He also revealed that Manchester United eyed him up two years earlier, in 2006 when he joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen. Despite interest from the club, Berbatov admitted he stayed true to his word which he gave Tottenham. During his time in north London, the he scored 46 goals in 90 appearances, helping them secure their only piece of silverware in the 21st century with a League Cup win in 2008. The Bulgarian striker was left out of the 2011 Champions League final squad and watched as Lionel Messi stole the showAFP Berbatov joined Manchester United in 2008 from Tottenham HotspurAFP The 2011 Champions League final was also mentioned, with Expressions, the co-host, questioning Ferguson’s decision to leave the striker out of the squad, something which he apologised for in the foreword of Berbatov’s book. The start of ‘Berba’ came at Bulgarian giants CSKA Sofia, who spotted his prodigal talent at the age of 17, but within three years the striker had made the move to Bayer Leverkusen. In Germany, they finished as runners-up behind Borussia Dortmund in 2001-02, but reached the Champions League final in 2001, where they fell short in a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid. With Manchester United, Berbatov lifted the Premier League trophy twice, in 2008-09 and 2010-11, the League Cup in 2010 and two Community Shields in 2010 and 2011. Personal highs included a hat-trick against Liverpool in a 3-2 win in 2010. Watch the full episode of The LineUp on YouTube now
Dimitar Berbatov has revealed his awkward first training session encounter when he first joined Manchester United.
The Bulgarian striker signed for the club in 2008 from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £30.75million but revealed that his nerves got the better of him on his first training session.
As he prepared to link up with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, he began over thinking and worked himself up.
Speaking to the LineUp on talkSPORT, he said: “I remember travelling to the training ground for my first session and I’m thinking to myself ‘where do I sit? What do I say?’ Who am I going to engage in conversation with?
“What if I look stupid? They just won the [Premier League and Champions League” he said. “The moment I stepped in the dressing room I was like s***!”
He spoke of his Bulgarian heritage and what it meant for him and his family to join one of the biggest clubs in world despite his humble beginnings of playing with a pigs bladder back home.
“I was intimidated but one of the reasons why was because I come from a small country.”
The former striker insisted that manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who met him at the airport when he arrived, was very nice and reassured him that everything would be fine.
Berbatov joked that he was told he’d have a “week off” by Ferguson after signing, but on arrival was told they had to face Liverpool in a few days time.
He also revealed that Manchester United eyed him up two years earlier, in 2006 when he joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite interest from the club, Berbatov admitted he stayed true to his word which he gave Tottenham.
During his time in north London, the he scored 46 goals in 90 appearances, helping them secure their only piece of silverware in the 21st century with a League Cup win in 2008.
The 2011 Champions League final was also mentioned, with Expressions, the co-host, questioning Ferguson’s decision to leave the striker out of the squad, something which he apologised for in the foreword of Berbatov’s book.
The start of ‘Berba’ came at Bulgarian giants CSKA Sofia, who spotted his prodigal talent at the age of 17, but within three years the striker had made the move to Bayer Leverkusen.
In Germany, they finished as runners-up behind Borussia Dortmund in 2001-02, but reached the Champions League final in 2001, where they fell short in a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid.
With Manchester United, Berbatov lifted the Premier League trophy twice, in 2008-09 and 2010-11, the League Cup in 2010 and two Community Shields in 2010 and 2011.
Personal highs included a hat-trick against Liverpool in a 3-2 win in 2010.
Watch the full episode of The LineUp on YouTube now
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