Danny Higginbotham has revealed that Derby County were keen to cash in on him and several other young players when he completed his move to Southampton back in 2003.

The defender, who could play centre-back or left-back, spent two-and-a-half years at Pride Park after joining from Manchester United in a deal worth around £2m.

At the time, the Rams were in the top-flight and Higginbotham was a regular but his second season at the East Midlands resulted in relegation.

Despite staying for six months initially, Higginbotham moved to Southampton on loan in the January window and completed a permanent transfer in the summer.

And, the 41-year-old, who is now a Sky Sports pundit, has opened up on his departure, explaining to a fan on Twitter why the move happened.

"Club needed to sell that’s why a few of the younger players left at same time and I was eager to get back to PL."

Higginbotham would go on to play for Stoke and Sunderland as well as the Saints in the top-flight during his career.

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The verdict

The defender did reasonably well for Derby during his time at the club and it's good for the fans to see the exact reasons why he left - even though it was a long time ago.

Of course, from his perspective, the chance to go back to the top-flight was always going to appeal and you can't blame a player for wanting to make the step up.

Higginbotham went on to have a good career and his time at Derby certainly helped improve his game.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.