‘Reidy’s offer went up with every drink - I wanted to order more!’
Former Arsenal, Middlesbrough and England international Ray Parlour has revealed how he could have joined Sunderland.
Black Cats legend Peter Reid made an attempt to lure Parlour away from Highbury in 2001.
Reid even offered to almost double Parlour’s wage at Arsenal.
But the midfielder decided against making the move to the Stadium of Light.
Whilst Sunderland did well under Reid during that period, Parlour went on to win the Premier League title twice, two FA Cups, and the Community Shield.
“It was the best decision I ever made,” Parlour told talkSPORT.
“Because I would never have scored in a cup final, I would never have gone unbeaten with that team, I would never have got another three or four trophies.
“For me, it was always about trophies.
"I was on about £20k a week I think at Arsenal at the time, in around 2001, roughly around then.
"It was Sunderland who came in for me and they offered me probably double my money.
"It was unbelievable. "I love Peter Reid as a person, so I met him in London.
"I just wanted to meet him because he was an exEngland player, a midfielder, and I respected him.
“Steve Bould had just
gone to Sunderland and he said, ‘Ray’s in great form, he’s good for the dressing room, why don’t you try and sign him?’.
"I met Peter and he was saying, ‘I can try and get you
this and that’, and after another bottle of wine he was going up and up with wages – I was asking him if he wanted another bottle!
"In the end, I went back to Arsenal.
"I think Arsene Wenger knew that I had rejected Sunderland and he then gave me some more money – he didn’t have to.
"I didn’t ask for it, but he just said, ‘I’m going to give you another £10k a week’ or something like that, and that was it.
"I stayed at Arsenal and, luckily, I did.
"I was in such a good team and I was always going to be playing on quite a regular basis as well."
Parlour went on to play for Middlesbrough and Hull City after leaving Arsenal, and also played 10 times for England.