Gareth Bale rejected a move to Manchester United - because he feared he would not be picked as a first-team regular.
The Spurs star revealed Sir Alex Ferguson was keen to sign him as a teenager from Southampton in 2007.
But he snubbed a switch to Old Trafford after being convinced by then-Tottenham boss Martin Jol that he would enjoy a brighter future at White Hart Lane.
Now Bale is one of the hottest properties in football with United and a host of top European suitors all keen to sign the 22-year-old.
'Man United were interested in me but I wanted to play first-team football,' Bale said, in an interview with Match of the Day magazine.
'I thought I had a better chance of getting that at Tottenham.
'The manager at the time, Martin Jol, told me he wanted me to go straight into the first team.'
Bale, who could represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics this summer, also revealed that his 'proud' Welsh roots saw him turn down the chance to play for England.
'I’m a proud Welshman,' he added.
'That’s why I didn’t choose to play for England. I could have, but I’d rather be Welsh!'
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