Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant says he was close to leaving the Merseyside club for Real Madrid 11 years ago, but the deal collapsed and he ended up at Portsmouth instead.
The 36-year-old joined Liverpool from Birmingham in the summer of 2006 but by January 2009, as he entered the last six months of his contract, it became increasingly clear that his future lay away from Anfield.
Pennant has now revealed that Los Blancos had agreed to take him to Spain, but Real boss Juande Ramos cancelled the move once he became aware of the deal.