Philip Lowry has revealed he turned down the advances of Leicester City to focus on his education when he was a teenager.
Lowry was on the radar of a number of cross-channel clubs at the time including the Foxes, QPR and Norwich City.
But instead of taking the plunge across the water, Lowry stayed in Northern Ireland and ended up joining Linfield from Institute.
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"I was at university in Belfast at the time I joined Linfield, so it suited me well," Lowry told Belfast Live's That's What I Call Football podcast.
"If I had pushed the football thing I probably could have got a club somewhere. I had just played for Northern Ireland at the Milk Cup and we had won it, and I had a good tournament.
"And then I was getting phone calls.
"But I never really wanted to be a footballer in England, that's not me. I was smart and had done well in school. I envisaged myself going across the water and not making much money to change my life.
"So I was more than content I didn't do it. I am happy enough with the way things worked out.
"My parents obviously had an influence, but they still supported me and if I wanted to go I could have gone.
"But the vibes I got when I went over to those places, and the lifestyle, I don't think I would have enjoyed it. The conversations with people were just mindless and about stupid stuff, and I just never got the impression that was me.
"I just didn't think I would enjoy it, and I probably wasn't good enough either. I was probably good enough to get a contract, but not good enough to play in the Championship or higher.
"I would probably have ended up knocking around League One or Two for 10 years and won nothing. I get more satisfaction out of challenging for stuff and being close to my family.
"You never know what would have happened. Worse players go over and have brilliant careers, and better players go over and end up coming home with nothing."
Lowry moved from Institute to Linfield in 2009 and went on to win three League and Irish Cup doubles with the Blues and a County Antrim Shield.
He would go on to win another Gibson Cup with current club Crusaders as well as two more Irish Cups and two Shields.
Of the clubs interested in Lowry's signature back then, it was Leciester who were leading the chase.
"Leicester were probably the biggest ones," Lowry said.
"I think they were League One at the time. They had a new stadium at the time, Nigel Pearson was the manager, I think.
"But that's a long time ago."
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