Bakircioglu, then 17 and playing for Swedish second-division side Assyriska FF, travelled to England alongside another Swedish prospect, Bojan Djordjic, for an extended trial. Djordjic went on to sign for Manchester United. Bakircioglu did not — and went on to become a Hammarby IF legend instead.
Speaking on the Transferpodden podcast, he recalled the first thing Sir Alex Ferguson said to him.
"When I arrived at the training ground, Sir Alex Ferguson came up and asked if I was Kennedy. He gave me a hug and said: 'You are welcome to the Man United family.'
"That was really something. I had an image of Sir Alex as a tough, hard coach, but he was an incredibly warm human being who welcomed me in a wonderful way."
Bakircioglu played for Manchester United's reserve side in a match against Aston Villa — a game United won 5-1. He contributed an assist. No contract followed.
"I was there for around two months in total. I am a little unsure what kind of dialogue Assyriska and United had. I know that United had a very strong interest in signing me. I was told they would continue to keep an eye on me."
He was careful not to frame the outcome as a source of personal pain.
"It was not as if I fell into a depression when it didn't happen. It was an experience to be there, to feel the atmosphere, to be among the big stars. It gave me a great feeling, a good self-confidence to go home and know that I was good, to prove it in Sweden and then maybe take the next step after a year or two."
The United squad he trained with was in the middle of its treble-winning season — David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were all present at Carrington, and Bakircioglu watched Beckham practise free-kicks in the sessions he attended.
"You don't quite take it in until you are there. You see the stars, you see them train extra. That was really something."
Bakircioglu returned to Assyriska and joined Hammarby ahead of the 1999 season. The rest was Swedish football history.