Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he almost joined Roberto Mancini's coaching staff at Manchester City in 2009.
Following his dismissal by Reading after just six months in charge, Rodgers held talks with City administrator Brian Marwood to join the club as a first-team coach.
"I was grateful because it was good for my confidence at the time because I'd left Reading having had a long career in coaching and all of a sudden I was on the outside looking in," he is quoted as saying in The Telegraph.
"I went up at the end of the season, took a couple of days looking around the project and everything and I flew to Milan to meet Roberto out there.
"They were excited about what was happening there and I didn't really think I was going to get a manager's job so the next best thing was at least working with top players."
However, the chance to manage Swansea City was too much for Rodgers to resist.
"Then all of a sudden I got the opportunity to go to Swansea so to be the No 1. Irrespective of money and whatever contract, at a great club like Swansea was always going to be too good to turn down," he said.
"I hadn't had anything in writing from Man City but I probably would have [earned more money]."
Rodgers left Swansea in the summer to become the Liverpool manager.