EXCLUSIVE
SKIPPED
Dean Saunders was once voted better than Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Roberto Mancini in Ballon d’Or but skipped the ceremony
Dean Saunders once skipped a Ballon d'Or ceremony despite being voted better than Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Roberto Mancini.
The Welshman finished 13th in the rankings back in 1991, with Marseille and France star Jean-Pierre Papin getting his hands on the prestigious award.
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The 58-year-old was plying his trade for Derby County at the time, and fired in an impressive 17 goals during the 1991/92 campaign.
Suffering relegation with the Rams at the end of the season, Saunders later made the move to Liverpool for a then British record-fee of £2.9million.
Saunders, though, finished ahead of several stars now considered legends of the game after receiving one third place vote which saw him finish in 13th place.
The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker revealed he opted against going to the ceremony.
Speaking on the talkSPORT Breakfast Show, he said: ";I did not think about it at the time.
"I thought with all the judges there 'why have I not won it?'
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"One day I went in for training, and one of the journalists went 'do you know you have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or?'
"I said 'am I?'"
When asked if he went or watched the ceremony at home by talkSPORT host Laura Woods, Saunders replied with a simple answer.
He remarked: "No."
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Before adding: "When you're playing and the PFA Awards come around, you put the team in, we don't take any notice of it.
"They pick it at the wrong time of the year, so they don't pick it at the end of the season.
"I should just put a full Welsh team down on my sheet, because you have to fill it in.
"I should put [Neville] Southall, [Kevin] Ratcliffe, [Ryan] Giggs, [Ian] Rush, [Mark] Hughes, [Gary] Speed.
"My PFA team was a good team - all Welsh."
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