Marian Pahars says he has no regrets about staying at Southampton despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
The striker played for Saints between 1999 and 2006 and was a key figure for the club, netting 43 goals in his 137 competitive outings.
Pahars was a coveted player during his tenure in the Premier League, and in a recent interview with Onet Sport, admitted that there was concrete interest from some of the country’s most prestigious clubs.
The 43-year-old revealed that Tottenham made a £10 million move to sign him, but Southampton rebuffed their approach.
Pahars also confirmed that there was ‘serious’ interest from Manchester United, who took a clear liking to the striker.
However, when asked about whether or not he looks back on his time in England with any regrets, he was quick to express how happy he was to remain at Southampton.
Pahars said:
Don’t regret anything in your life or you won’t sleep well. There was serious interest not only from Manchester. Tottenham offered ten million pounds.
However, Southampton did not want to lose their striker, and I felt good there, so I did not intend to leave at all costs.
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£10 million was a lot of money at that time, and it’s a good job that Saints did reject Spurs’ offer, as Pahars went on to cement himself as a real cult hero at the club.
To this day, fans remember his contribution to Southampton with great fondness, and he is a figure who is held close to many hearts.
Pahars clearly feels the same way about those associated with the club at which he made a name for himself, and he has made no secret of his desire to someday return.
In November last year, the Latvian revealed that he would jump at the chance to manage Saints. He said:
One day if I can ever come back to Southampton, I would do everything to be successful there.
