West Ham winger Robert Snodgrass has admitted there was never any interest from Barcelona when he was a teenager at Livingston, quashing the rumours he turned down the La Liga giants
ROBERT SNODGRASS suspects he will always be known as the player who turned down Barcelona.
Trouble is, one of football’s most enduring legends turns out to be fake news. It simply never happened.
Robert Snodgrass rose through the ranks at Livingston but insists he never was the subject of interest of BarcelonaNews Group Newspapers LtdAfter starring for the Scottish side as a teenager, hen eventually made the move to Leeds United where he starred for themNews Group Newspapers Ltd
Twelve years on from his supposed snub to the Spanish giants, Snodgrass remains mystified by the story.
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West Ham’s new midfield schemer said: “You’d have to be insane to reject a trial at Barcelona.
“No-one would turn down a chance like that but I don’t think about what might have been because it never happened.
“Everyone is intrigued by this story. It comes up all the time. But I don’t know how to even begin to explain it.
“I was 17-years-old and playing for Livingston when it was reported that I’d refused to go to the Nou Camp for a trial.
Robert Snodgrass signed for West Ham this January after moving from Hull City for a fee of £10.2millionPA:Press Association
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The current Hammer insists if there was any interest from the Spanish giants he would have jumped at the chanceNews Group Newspapers Ltd
“I’ve been told that various clubs and agents were involved but I honestly don’t know anything about it.”
Yet Snodgrass did reject boyhood idols Celtic despite growing up in the shadow of their stadium in Glasgow.
He admits: “All my family are Celtic fans and they did want to sign me, but from the age of 13 Livingston had taken care of me and my family.
“They had been promoted through three leagues, they’d won the CIS Cup and were playing in Europe.*
He has gone on to become a key player at whatever club he has represented and has finally got his big move this seasonNews Group Newspapers Ltd
“But the most important thing was that they were giving youth a chance.
“I was in their team at 16 and had 50 senior games under my belt by 17.
“I was meeting up for Scotland get-togethers with lads from Celtic and Rangers who’d never played a single first team match.
“So I’m quite glad I decided to stay with Livingston. It guides you a long way in your career when you get experience at an early age.
In 92 games in all competitions for Livingston, he scored 17 timesNews Group Newspapers Ltd
“It allowed me to come down to Leeds at 19 and handle the tough demands of adapting to a new club away from my family and friends.
“The big thing for me was to avoid going back to Scotland as a failure.
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