My biggest regret is turning down Liverpool – Midfielder says during his medical!

A former Premier League midfielder has revealed that his “biggest regret” was rejecting a transfer to Liverpool while “halfway through a medical.” Once a player reaches the medical phase of a transfer, things are usually a formality. However, for this player, he was still undecided about joining the Reds.

In recent years, the only definite, high-profile Liverpool move to fall through at this stage was for Loic Remy in 2014. In this scenario, however, the player didn’t even fail his tests; instead, Lee Bowyer chose to stay at Leeds in 2002, telling MNF Retro: “I was very close (to joining Liverpool). I was halfway through a medical but it just didn’t feel right for me at the time.”

Looking back, Bowyer admitted he now regrets the decision, saying: “That is my biggest regret in football not going to Liverpool at that time. If I could turn the clock back, I would’ve gone. “Looking back, I made the wrong decision.” At the time, Bowyer was playing for Leeds, who were in the UEFA Cup. The player-turned-manager tried to explain his choice to Jamie Carragher.

“I knew my time was coming to an end at Leeds, due to a few things behind the scenes that didn’t sit well with me, so I knew it was my time to go,” Bowyer said in a statement.

“After doing six years at Leeds, I thought doing another five years up north, being a long way away from my family, didn’t sit right, but after all that, I ended up going to Newcastle, which is even further away.” It’s illogical!

“But at the time it just didn’t feel right, and that was the mistake I made.”
Bowyer’s name isn’t exactly synonymous with the kind of star quality that Liverpool often seeks. According to Carragher, manager Gerard Houllier “loved” the way he played.

“After doing six years at Leeds, I thought doing another five years up north, being a long way away from my family, didn’t sit right, but after all that, I ended up going to Newcastle, which is even further away.” It’s illogical!

“But at the time it just didn’t feel right, and that was the mistake I made.”
Bowyer’s name isn’t exactly synonymous with the kind of star quality that Liverpool often seeks. According to Carragher, manager Gerard Houllier “loved” the way he played.