Middlesbrough FC snub opened the door for Chelsea, Man Utd stints | OneFootball

Nemanja Matic enjoyed an excellent Premier League career with Chelsea and Man United, and Boro could've been on that list too.

Nemanja Matic enjoyed an excellent career in the Premier League with Chelsea and Manchester United, and Middlesbrough could've been on that list too.

Come December 2008, Middlesbrough Football Club were a team in transition.

Just two-and-a-half years earlier, Boro were contesting a UEFA Cup Final vs Sevilla - which they lost 4-0. Since then, numerous star players such as Yakubu, Mark Viduka, Gaizka Mendieta, Mark Schwarzer and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had all departed the Riverside Stadium.

With Steve McClaren since replaced by new manager Gareth Southgate, the Teessiders were in the midst of a fairly sharp decline, and as such, were in desperate need of some star quality to give themselves a chance of prolonging their Premier League glory days.

Little-known Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic arrives for Middlesbrough trial

With Middlesbrough sitting mid-table in the Premier League come early December 2008, a 20-year-old midfielder by the name of Nemanja Matic had slipped quietly through the Rockliffe Park doors to begin a trial with the club.

At the time, he was taking the first steps in his senior career with Slovakian side MFK Kosice, and Boro were reported to have been ready to complete a deal for the young midfielder.

Even Matic himself made it clear at the time that he was impressed with what he saw from his trial period with the club, saying via Sky Sports: "It was very good there, I was satisfied with it.

"It is obvious that the club has great facilities and I was amazed by the training head-quarters with 10 football pitches. I underwent a medical, then for two days I was training with the team and got to know the coach Gareth Southgate.

"I have a good feeling overall about it. I have news that they are willing to sign me, but I don't know anything more specific. To play in England is a dream for everyone, including me.

"There are some other offers and everything will be decided during January."

Nemanja Matic slips through Middlesbrough's fingers, goes on to have a brilliant career with Man United, Chelsea

As a result, it looked a foregone conclusion that Middlesbrough would wrap up a deal for the highly-rated Serbian, despite him being forced to cut his trial short due to being called up to represent his national side.

But then, nothing. Radio silence. Matic never heard anything more from Boro, as he later revealed in an interview with Chelsea's official magazine via Sky Sports in 2014.

"The club was okay, they were in the Premier League at that time with some good players like Stewart Downing and Robert Huth," he said.

"I don’t know why it didn’t happen – I went to join up with the national team and the clubs were supposed to talk, but I never heard anymore about it.

"Who knows what would have happened if I signed for Middlesbrough – would I be here today? All I know is that I am a Chelsea player now and very happy to be here."

Come August 2009, Middlesbrough were relegated from the Premier League, and Matic would sign for Chelsea in a deal reported to have been worth just £1.5m.

The central midfielder would go on to enjoy a superb career at the top of English Football, especially at Stamford Bridge, where he would win three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup during his eight years as a Chelsea player.

He'd then spend five years at Old Trafford starring for Manchester United, before moving on to Roma in the summer of 2022. It's fair to say that Middlesbrough, should they have a time machine at their disposal, would love to go back to December 2008 to make sure that Matic would sign on the dotted line at the Riverside.