Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit was on the verge of joining rivals Tottenham before hopping in a cab and heading to Highbury.
After securing a Premier League and FA Cup double in his debut season at Arsenal, the hijack proved money well spent. French enforcer Petit formed an impervious midfield combination with compatriot Patrick Vieira during his spell in north London between 1997 and 2000.
He impressed after moving to England, becoming a World Cup winner with France in 1998 and one of the more recognisable and most composed players in the Premier League with his ponytail-rocking appearance.
However, the 53-year-old admitted how his career could've chartered a very different course, as he was originally lined up to join Gerry Francis' Tottenham Hotspur.
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Speaking to fellow ex-Gunner David Seaman on his Seaman Says podcast via Betway, Petit recalled the saga that saw him snub one half of north London and head for the other.
"The same day I joined Arsenal, I was in the Spurs office," revealed Petit. "They paid for a cab for me to go and sign for Arsenal. It's been 26 years now. You can turn the page, close the books and move on."
Legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was influential in persuading Petit to reject Spurs, as the great manager was the one who handed the midfielder his debut at the age of 18 while he was on the books at Monaco.
"Sometimes you have to feel what your heart is telling you, not your head," Petit continued. "I wanted to reunite with Arsene. He brought me into the first team in Monaco.
"He took me from the academy, I was not a professional, and was playing for the first team for European finals, French cup final, for the big prizes all the time.
"I was enjoying my life, and I know what I owe to Arsene, more as a person than as a player because he was acting as a father with me for years and years."
Petit left the Gunners to join Barcelona in 2000 alongside team-mate Marc Overmars but returned to English soil a year later, signing for Chelsea under Claudio Ranieri. He swapped Vieira for Frank Lampard – who joined from West Ham in 2001 – in west London and formed an impressive midfield duo that secured Champions League football during his second season.
The Frenchman announced his retirement in 2005 after being released by the Blues due to a string of injuries and failing to completely recover, but could have had a vastly different career had he not snubbed Spurs.