Swansea City midfielder Leon Britton has been reminiscing about the time he turned down a move to Arsenal.
The year was 1998 and the Gunners were riding high, but that didn't stop the young Britton from rejecting the club's offer of his first professional salary of £400 a week.
Throw back to nearly 20 years ago when Arsenal offered me terms as an apprentice and professional. Turned it down to join West Ham thinking I would get a better opportunity, that decision worked out well 🙈😂 #TBT pic.twitter.com/mD0lo34zUV
— Leon Britton (@Britts_7) April 26, 2018
Britton went on to spend four years with West Ham as a budding midfielder but never made a single senior appearance for the club.
However, he did spend a season on loan at Swansea as a 20-year-old and helped them to stave off relegation from the Football League, before subsequently signing on a permanent deal the next year.
The rest, as they say, is 16 years of unfaltering, loyal one-club service.