Quoted by The Athletic, Pascal Chimbonda has suggested the way he handed in a transfer request at Wigan Athletic could have put Manchester United off of signing him.
Chimbonda impressed in the Latics' first season in the Premier League with the side as a whole taking the division by storm and performing well.
At the end of the campaign, though, it was clear Chimbonda wanted to move on but the way he did it is not something he is proud of.
He handed in a transfer request by note, still in his kit, at the end of the season after the last game and things evidently did not go how he thought they might have at the time.
Indeed, he explained that the episode might well have scuppered any chances of a move to Manchester United.
He said when asked about the episode:
"That’s my biggest regret. That changed a lot of things.
"If I didn’t do what I did then maybe I would have joined Manchester United. But when I made this mistake, I threw my chance away. Man Utd didn’t want to sign someone who would do this.
"Wigan were so mad, they didn’t say anything to me. At the end of the game I gave a written letter to the manager in the dressing room, and he opened it in front of everyone. I wasn’t even showered yet."
Chimbonda would move to Tottenham and also played for Blackburn Rovers during his time in this country but perhaps things could have been different for him had he not revealed his desire to move in the manner he did.
At the end of the day, once it was done it was done and it rather left a sour note around his Wigan career, but it is clear he at least regrets it.