“I felt the Liverpool fans would accept me”- Paul Ince reveals why he rejected Chelsea transfer in 1997

Paul Ince says he wanted to join Liverpool and rejected Chelsea as he felt the Reds fans were more welcoming

Paul Ince, a former player for Manchester United, talks about his time spent with Liverpool and says he turned down Chelsea before joining the Reds because he thought their supporters would welcome him.

His move to Liverpool was seen as a controversial transfer, as he was part of the Manchester United team that dominated the Premier League and Europe. The former midfielder was later sold to Inter Milan in 1995, where he spent two years before deciding to head back to England.

The midfielder had offers from many clubs, including Chelsea. But Ince decided to join the Reds, United’s fiercest rivals during that time. Ince went on to make 81 appearances for the Reds, registering 17 goals and 11 assists.

In his recent interview with TalkSports, the midfielder revealed why he decided to snub Chelsea and join Liverpool. He said:

“I also felt the Liverpool fans would accept me, which they did; they were unbelievable. I could have gone to Chelsea, but I felt comfortable in the north-west, and I felt Liverpool had a chance of winning the Premier League.’’

During his playing time, Ince was the most popular midfield player. He was a versatile midfielder and played anywhere on the pitch. His ability to switch his plays stood out for him which forced the Blues to bring him but the former midfielder decided to join the Reds.

 Frank Lampard is one of the greatest Chelsea midfielders. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Frank Lampard is one of the greatest Chelsea midfielders. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

At Liverpool, he endured a trophyless season as most of his silverware came as a United player. Maybe had he joined Chelsea things might have been different for him and he may have won more trophies with us.

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He was well-known for his dedication to work and relentless running on the pitch. He was a really agile and dedicated player. a contemporary midfielder with the ability to be a playmaker and defend at the same time. His statistics for United and Liverpool show what an amazing midfield player he was, both in terms of goals scored and assists.