Mourinho says he signed contract to succeed Ferguson before U-turn to Chelsea

José Mourinho has revealed that he signed a contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, only to tearfully renege on the agreement and return to Chelsea, according to The Guardian.

Ferguson's retirement that summer, after leading United to a 13th Premier League title, shook the football world and brought an end to one of the longest and most successful managerial reigns in English football. Mourinho ultimately decided against taking over at Old Trafford and instead rejoined Chelsea.

The story is corroborated by Ferguson in a new Netflix documentary, The Guardian reports. The Portuguese's decision to change his mind remains one of the great what-ifs of recent Premier League history.