Few players can say they have had the privilege of playing alongside the likes of Edwin van der Sar, Gianluigi Buffon, Clarence Seedorf, Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero during their careers.

However, former Netherlands international Edgar Davids can proudly say he has. As well as representing his nation in what was a stellar career, he also had the honour of playing for some of Europe's biggest clubs, such as Juventus, AC Milan, Barcelona and Ajax.

One of the finest midfielders of his generation, Davids could have also represented Manchester United had Sir Alex Ferguson had his way. The legendary Scot was interested in bringing the Dutchman to Old Trafford in 1996.

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A product of Ajax's academy, Davids, who retired from playing in 2014 following a stint as player-manager at Barnet, had spent five years as a first-team player at the Dutch club, helping them win three Eredivisie titles and the Champions League crown in 1995.

A dominant force in midfield, Davids was nicknamed 'The Pitbull' by former United and Ajax manager Louis van Gaal. His hunger and energy to win the ball made him a highly attractive player for any club.

As Ferguson demonstrated across almost 30 years in charge at Old Trafford, he only wanted the best in class. Davids was one of the very best when it came to dominating proceedings in midfield.

Having helped Ajax win the 1995 Champions League final, beating AC Milan 1-0 in Vienna, Davids started the following season's final, once again in Ajax colours. On that occasion, however, there was not to be a happy ending for the Dutchman, who missed a penalty in a shootout that saw Juventus prevail 4-2 on spot-kicks after the game had finished 1-1 after 120 minutes.

That missed penalty marked Davids' last kick of his first stint in an Ajax shirt. His contract was up at the end of the 1995/96 season and he was a very attractive option on a free transfer.

Unsurprisingly, he was linked with a plethora of European heavyweights, including United, who were striving to reach their first European Cup final since 1968. Immensely talented, it was hardly surprising Davids had the pick of the crop to write his next chapter.

However, his heart was set on a move to Italy, meaning he moved to AC Milan. That was not until he had held talks with Ferguson, who failed in his attempt to convince the former midfielder to move to Old Trafford.

Davids, speaking in October, said: "Yes, when I left Ajax I was out of contract and could have gone to Man United.

"I had a conversation with Sir Alex and it was one of the most unbelievable experiences I've had – he was funny, he was charming, he was intelligent – everything. I was really flabbergasted.

"The thing is that back in the day I wanted to go to Serie A – they were the big boys and I wanted to go there and that was the main thing."

He also joked that sharing a dressing room with Roy Keane would not have been wise, commenting: "That was the only option and then there was some rumours when I was older but then there was Keano [Roy Keane] there and me there – that would not have been a good idea to have us in a dressing room!"

To say Davids' decision to join AC Milan backfired is an understatement. The Italian giants had a season to forget, changing manager twice, finishing 11th in the league and crashing out of the Champions League at the first hurdle. To top it off, Davids also suffered a broken leg.

Struggling to reclaim his place in the team after overcoming that injury, Davids left Milan in December 1997 after making just 31 appearances. He moved to Juventus in a cut-price £3million deal and spent seven successful years in Turin.

Hindsight, of course, can be a wonderful thing, particularly in football, but the former Netherlands international does not regret his decision to reject United when they came calling, adding: "No, I did not [regret rejecting United], but neither did [Ferguson].

"Sometimes you meet someone and it's such a special moment that when you see each other again you laugh and you have the same good feeling. That's what I got from him."

Having turned down the chance to move to England and to the Premier League in 1996, Davids made the switch to these shores in 2005, joining Tottenham Hotspur after spending time on loan at Barcelona and then one season at Inter Milan. He made 44 appearances for Spurs before returning to Ajax for a second spell in 2007.

After two more years in Ajax colours, Davids returned to England again to join Crystal Palace, who were in the Championship at the time, in 2010. He signed on a pay-as-you-play deal, but departed after just three months.

He later took on a player-manager role with Barnet, representing them in both League Two and then the Conference. He resigned in January 2014 after just over 12 months with the club, marking his last association with English football.