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VAN WAS NOT THE MAN FOR US!
Published: 00:00Saturday 12 February 2000
SUNDERLAND tried and failed to sign Dutch goalscoring sensation Ruud van Nistelrooy three seasons ago, Peter Reid revealed today
The PSV Eindhoven striker hit the headlines this week when it emerged that Chelsea are considering a mammoth 20million bid for the youngster dubbed "the new Marco van Basten".
And Gianluca Vialli is ready to smash the 15million British transfer record set with the move of Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United, in order to land the hugely talented 23-year-old.
But had luck gone Peter Reids way, the youngster who went on to become Dutch Player of the Year last season would now be playing in the red and white stripes of Sunderland rather than the red and white of PSV Eindhoven.
Reid said: "Hes a quality player and someone we were looking to buy three seasons ago when he was still something of an unknown.
"It was just after we started back in the First Division. At the time he was playing for Heerenveen, and I think he was only 19.
"Credit should go to Andy King who picked up on him while scouting. He looked an excellent young prospect and we wanted to bring him to the club.
"But they quoted us 5million which at the time was just far too high a price for a player we could not be totally sure would be a success."
The failure to clinch the signature of van Nistelrooy could hardly be said to have held back a Sunderland side which, spearheaded by Kevin Phillips, went on to finish the next two seasons as the highest goalscorers in English league football.
But van Nistlerooy has not been idle either in the intervening three seasons.
He eventually left Heerenveen for 4.7million to join PSV Eindhoven and his career has gone into orbit ever since.
He has scored 57 goals in 52 games for PSV 31 of which were enough to have him crowned Dutch Player of the Year last season.
So far he has scored 26 goals this season including three in six Champions League matches and such has been his form that the Dutch side have been in a position to contemptuously dismiss a recent 17.5million bid from Roma.
The prospect of the 6ft 2ins van Nistlerooy and Phillips in the same side would be a mouth-watering prospect but on the swings and roundabouts of the transfer market it is often impossible to tell which signings might fail and which might succeed.
Reid said: "Youve just got to be sensible about the whole thing and accept that deals dont always come off.
"We thought enough of van Nistlerooy to want to bring him to Sunderland but there was no guarantee that he would turn out to be the player he has done just like there was no guarantee that Kevin Phillips would turn out to be the player he is."
The Dutchman has expressed an interest in playing in the Premiership and says he would prefer to live in London.
Chelsea are favourites to sign the striker followed by Arsenal, the consolation for Sunderland being that should he sign and continue his formidable goalscoring form, the Wearsiders will not have to face him on the pitch until next season!
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