NEMANJA MATIC revealed he fled the UK following an unhappy trial with Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough that ultimately led him to Chelsea.
Matic, 37, has been enjoying a glittering near-20-year career that saw him winning two Premier League titles with the Blues, while also standing out for Manchester United in the top flight.
But before the midfielder rose to prominence he had a humble beginning with Slovakian outfit Kosice, who ordered him to undergo a trial with Boro.
However, the former Serbia international wasn’t keen on the idea from the off.
The now-Sassuolo star was so furious with his then club that he took it upon himself to fly out of the UK just two days later while ignoring the team’s demands to train with Southgate’s side.
That led to a move to Chelsea in 2009 after then Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti saw him in action in the Under-21 Euros.
Matic told FourFourTwo: “I signed for Chelsea after the Under-21 Euros, when I’d broken my foot against Italy in the only game that I played.
“I was lucky that Carlo Ancelotti had seen the game and signed me for Chelsea.
“Six months before that, my club had sent me to Middlesbrough. It was interesting – they told me I needed to go on trial for 10 days, but I didn’t want to go out on trial anywhere, I was a top-division player in Slovakia.
“They were pushing me. I said no. But they told me to just go there for three days, see the club, Middlesbrough would explain everything, and if I was happy, they’d give me a contract and I’d play in the Premier League. Gareth Southgate was the manager.
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“I went but I didn’t speak English, apart from the word ‘taxi’. I went to the training ground, got a full kit and was put in a dressing room with one other guy.
“I wasn’t happy, then I saw the pitch – what a pitch! So I trained for two days.
“They asked me to stay for 10 days, but I didn’t want that and called a Serbian lady to help me plan my escape.
“I took a taxi to Manchester Airport and went back home. I ignored my club’s calls because I was angry that they’d sent me on trial. I went to Chelsea instead.”
Matic failed to stand out during his first stint with Chelsea and was sent out on loan to Vitesse in 2010 before his departure to Benfica the next year as part of a deal that brought David Luiz to Stamford Bridge.
After three successful years with the Portuguese giants, the West Londoners re-signed the central midfielder for £21million.
Matic went on to amass a total of seven goals and 18 assists in 154 appearances before his departure for Man Utd in 2017 when he reunited with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
The Serbian star registered four goals and 11 assists in 189 appearances during a five-year stint with the Red Devils.
Short stints with Roma, Rennes and Lyon followed before last summer’s move to Italy.
