Patrice Evra claims he would have been made Manchester United captain had he not left for Juventus this summer.
The 33-year-old left-back ended an illustrious career at Manchester United early this summer when he switched to the Bianconeri on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £1.5millon.
The Frenchman made a total of 379 appearances for United, scoring 10 goals, after signing in 2006, but he was given permission to leave following the acquiestion of England international Luke Shaw from Southampton.
However, new United boss Louis van Gaal would have liked to have kept the experienced international at the club – even offering him the captain's armband, according to Evra.
He said: "Manchester United wanted to keep me and they also wanted to give me the captain's band.
"Van Gaal was disappointed to see me go away, but I had already made a choice."
Speculation has linked United's Nani with Juventus and Evra believes the Portuguese international would boost the Serie A side.
He said: "He is a great player and it was a privilege for me to play with Nani. If Juve are interested in him, I can only say that Nani would be a great purchase."
Evra will definitely be playing with one former United team-mate, Carlos Tevez, who the Frenchman admitted he was especially keen to reunite with.
"Carlos is a warrior," Evra added. "It was tough for me to see him leave United for another team. We're great friends on and off the pitch.
"It wasn't easy to leave Manchester United, it was a decision I made for personal reasons.
"I'm happy with the choice I've made in coming here. Juventus is a great club with a wonderful history."
"The minute they came calling, I knew it was the right choice for me."
Speaking at his official unveiling, Evra also revealed his desire to help Juventus win a fourth consecutive league title - a feat United never quite achieved during his time at Old Trafford.
The 33-year-old left-back did lift the Premier League five times during his eight years in Manchester but the Red Devils' run towards claiming four in a row was interrupted by Chelsea in 2010.
Evra may not have been part of the Juve side that clinched three Serie A titles between 2012 and 2014, yet after making the "tough" decision to swap England for Italy, he intends to play a key role in another successful defence.
He said: "It won't be easy to win four titles in a row. I managed to do it three times with Manchester United and know how difficult the challenge is.
"We also hope to do well in the Champions League. It's a great competition and we'll look to go as far as we can."
Evra, who will wear the number 33 shirt in Turin, has signed a two-year contract at the Juventus Stadium.