Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke has admitted he regrets turning down the chance to join Martin O'Neill's Celtic side.
The striker was on the look-out for a new club back in 2004 after helping Blackburn Rovers qualify for the UEFA Cup when O'Neill made his move to bring Yorke to Scotland, claiming he had agreed a deal with Celtic before a late change of heart. The Trinidad and Tobago international would opt to remain in the English Premier League with Birmingham City after an approach from Steve Bruce.
Yorke failed to make an impact at City and was later released at the end of the campaign, eventually making the move to the A-League where he received a bumper pay day at Sydney FC. The retired frontman has now confessed he made the wrong choice to turn down the switch to Glasgow's east end when he had the chance.
Speaking to LegalSportsbooks.com, Yorke said: “I nearly joined Martin O'Neill's Celtic permanently, it happened very quickly and in 17 years of my career, I had never played outside of the top English division, never been on loan or anything. I was always around the first team from the time I joined Aston Villa. Celtic was and is a big club.
"I went to Celtic Park and I agreed to the terms and conditions, but then Birmingham City and Steve Bruce came in at the last minute. I knew Bruce quite well, but I was an Aston Villa man for 10 years so looking back on it, it probably was not a great call.
"I always wanted to stay and play in the Premier League, that's why I turned down Celtic. In hindsight, going to Birmingham City was not a great call but it only lasted a short time.
"Then I went to Australia where I got my passion back, came back to Sunderland and got them promoted to the Premier League then played in the World Cup. So if I went to Celtic, none of that might have happened.”
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