Jussi Jaaskelainen has explained why the possibility of joining Manchester United never tempted him.
Jaaskelainen made 530 appearances for Bolton over a 15-year stint with the club, helping to establish them as a Premier League side under the management of Sam Allardyce. The Finnish goalkeeper was a solid performer, keeping 108 clean sheets in the Premier League during his time with Bolton and West Ham.
He enjoyed a long and successful career in English football after arriving at Bolton via a trial with Norwich. Jaaskelainen’s path to the Premier League is especially impressive when you consider that he was working as an electrician in Finland before joining Wanderers in 1997, with his previous side, Vaasan, only semi-professional.
His long spell at Bolton is rare in modern-day football, with lots of players switching between clubs much more regularly. Jaaskelainen says he never really felt compelled to leave Bolton, having been treated so well by the club and with his family settled in the town.
“There are a couple of stories out there around potential moves away during my time at Bolton, although honestly I think some of them, like the links to Manchester United, were more rumours and nothing else,” he said at the launch of Ladbrokes' "Gaffer of all Accas".
“I did have a chance to move to Sunderland, but that was a little bit later in my career, maybe in 2007, but then I decided to sign a long-term contract with Bolton. There was also a chance for me to sign for Galatasaray at one stage, when I was about to become a free agent, but I only ever wanted to stay in the Premier League.
“I can't remember exactly what year it was, but I injured my back, maybe in 2005, while I was in talks with Tottenham. They never really got going, though, because they just fell through straight away, when I got injured. I was so happy at Bolton, though. My family were happy, and that was the biggest thing for me.
“To be honest, I've never really felt like I left Bolton. It's strange, because I went on to play for a couple more teams in England, but even when I signed for West Ham, and spent three seasons there, my family were still living in Bolton, and so I was travelling up and down the country.
“Bolton has always felt like my home, so I never really wanted to go anywhere else. Even now, when I come back to England, it still feels like home to me. Football is a big part of my life, but my family is even bigger, and they were happy in Bolton, so that was where we were always going to stay.”
Koweey
1
Legend.