Former Everton defender Phil Jagielka has opened up on turning down West Ham before returning to Goodison Park in 2007, and explained why he never tried to force a move away from the Blues.
The 38-year-old spent 12 years back on Merseyside after returning to the club that released him as a 15-year-old, leaving again in 2019 to re-join Sheffield United back in the Premier League.
After first leaving the Blades in 2007, however, there were a lot of offers on the table for the future England international - including one from West Ham.
But because of the bad blood between the Hammers and Sheffield United, Jagielka revealed he couldn't possibly choose to join West Ham when leaving Sheffield.
The defender told the Super Six Podcast : "Well West Ham, I think you'd understand why I couldn't do the West Ham one!
"Obviously there was the Carlos Tevez and Mascherano ordeal. Third party ownership, obviously they [the Premier League] were umm-ing and ahh-ing about points deductions.
"But there was a bitter taste in your mouth. I wouldn't say they broke the rules, but they bent the rules quite a lot. They didn't own two of the players, the agent owned them and struck a deal with West Ham.
"Let's be honest, Tevez and Mascherano went on to have amazing careers. These were two players who, realistically no disrespect to West Ham, but they wouldn't have been able to afford to have had on a level playing field.
"They got away with it, ended up going down on goal difference. I reported back on the first day of pre-season and I got a phone call from Alan Curbishley.
"He was saying he'd love to have me there but probably understood if I couldn't! I was captain of the club at the time, I'd come through the youth, I'd have been spitting in Sheffield United faces if I'd have gone to West Ham.
"I was always very keen on staying up north, Everton had had a fantastic season - I think a season before they'd nearly qualified for the Champions League.
"So when they came a-knocking it was an easy decision. Funnily enough I knew how to get there, obviously I'd been there as a young lad! It was nice to go back there with a little bit of a grit in my teeth."
That loyalty and commitment to his club would follow the defender to Everton in 2007.
After working hard to break into the Blues team, the centre-back made himself a staple of the side and rose to prominence across the Premier League - leading to some rumours of potential transfers over the years.
But Jagielka has explained why thought of forcing a move didn't enter his mind.
"I've always had a love for Sheffield United. They gave me a chance, a lot of people weren't prepared to give me that," the 38-year-old added.
"The journey that I've been on, there's been many people that have helped me along that way and Sheffield United as a club have obviously played a massive role.
"It's the same with Everton. There was probably opportunities where potentially I could have tried to force a move and stuff like that, but I also realised what platform they gave me to go on and be an international footballer.
"I think you've got to be grateful for what's going on in the present rather than looking too far ahead in the future and trying to grab things that maybe you shouldn't do at the time and regret in the future."
