I signed for Arsenal but it ruined my international career – Sir Alex Ferguson saved the day
Arsenal heroCharlie Nicholas’ international career was saved bySir Alex Ferguson.
The former striker, 62, rose through the ranks at Celtic and won the Scottish Premier Division twice between 1980 and 1983. He was a hot prospect in the early '80s, attracting interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan after scoring 48 goals in 53 appearances during the 1982/83 season.
Nicholas decided instead to sign for Arsenal in 1983, where he became a club legend thanks to his brace against Liverpool in the 1987 League Cup final at Wembley. Yet his performances for the north Londoners between 1983 and 1985 were not deemed good enough to earn him a call-up to the Scotland squad.
Speaking on the 'Football's Greatest' podcast with Jeff Stelling, the former Sky Sports Soccer Saturday pundit revealed that then-Scotland manager Jock Stein did not select him as he preferred Nicholas to join Liverpool, which boasted Scottish stars such as Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish.
Nicholas also stated that Stein refused to travel to London to watch him play. His international career would have been further derailed had it not been for Ferguson, who stepped in following Stein's death after an '86 World Cup qualification match, ensuring Nicholas was included in the Scotland squad in time for the 1986 World Cup.
Nicholas told Stelling, as per the Mirror: "[I have] tremendous memories of the World Cup, Jeff. I wasn't anticipating going. Jock Stein had stopped picking me because I'd joined Arsenal [from Celtic in 1983]. He wanted me to join Liverpool.
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