- Peter Schmeichel played for Man United from 1991-1999
- He joined Man City from Aston Villa in 2002
- He has been discussing why he joined City
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has been discussing why he signed for City after spending almost a decade at rivals Manchester United.
The iconic Danish keeper played almost 400 times for United after joining from boyhood club Brondby IF in 1991.
Schmeichel then joined Portuguese club Sporting CP before returning to the Premier League with Aston Villa, and then signed for Man City in 2002.
Having been a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford, his decision to sign for their rivals on the blue side of Manchester was very controversial.
Peter Schmeichel discusses playing for City after United
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Schmeichel opened up about what it was really like to play for City after so many successful years at United, including how it felt to face his former team.
He told podcast hosts and former teammates Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt that former City manager Kevin Keegan was a big factor in him signing for City.
Schmeichel said: “One of the reasons I went to Man City, a big reason, was obviously that Kevin Keegan was the manager.
“They had this incredible flair and they all loved Kevin Keegan, and I kinda wanted to have the experience in that.
“I wanted to go into management, and my choices at the end of my career had a lot to do with me trying to get different input.
Peter Schmeichel sets the record straight about playing for Man City after playing for Man United… 👀 pic.twitter.com/jlrXWL7rBY
— The Good, The Bad & The Football (@goodbadftblpod) May 5, 2026
“When I went, it’s the first year they’re [City] back in the Premier League, and they’ve been all the way down to League One.”
He added: “And of course I phoned Sir Alex [Ferguson] up and said ‘I have this option’. He knew the family wanted to get back to Manchester. Two years before that, we had a deal, but he knew, so I said ‘would this be a problem?’ and he said no.”
Scholes accuses Schmeichel of breaking promise to Man United
While Schmeichel’s reasons for wanting to join City may have been understandable, he was accused by his former teammates of breaking a promise to only return to United if he came back to the Premier League.
Paul Scholes raised the issue directly, saying: “When you left, you said if you ever came back, it would only be to United.”
Schmeichel replied: “No. Never said it. When I went then, I said this is gonna be my last season. I could not go to another Premier League club, I had to leave the country, or they [United fans] would shoot me.”
Is Schmeichel the greatest to play for both Manchester Clubs?
While uncommon, it is not unheard of for players to switch from one side of Manchester to the other during their playing careers.
In the post-war era, some massive names have played for both City and United. Peter Beardsley, Denis Law, Andy Cole, Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez are among those to have played for both.
With five Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League, Schmeichel is among the greatest ever goalkeepers in English football.
However, Tevez and Hargreaves are unique in winning the Premier League at both clubs, something even Schmeichel never managed in his illustrious career.
