Gary Neville has claimed Steven Gerrard expressed fears over the safety of his family if he joined arch-rivals Manchester United from Liverpool.
Neville speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, said he has been instructed by Sir Alex Ferguson to attempt convince Gerrard to sign for the Red Devils.
The approach came around 2004 with Neville speaking to Gerrard about a potential transfer while on international duty.
Gerrard at the time had been considering a £30million-plus move to join Chelsea, a switch which would have doubled his wages.
Neville claimed Gerrard rejected the idea 'pretty quickly', citing concerns over the safety of his family in Liverpool if he made the transfer.
'Stevie told this in his book, where I went into his room with England and asked him to sign for Manchester United,' Neville said.
'I was meeting up with England for the Euros, and he [Sir Alex Ferguson] rang me and said it's ambitious, but his words were, 'Tell him I'll go and fetch him, and I'll walk him back down the East Lancs'.
'I went to see Stevie, and he quite categorically [rejected it] pretty quickly.
'He said he would never get out of Liverpool and his family would never get out of Liverpool.'
Gerrard ultimately u-turned on a potential move to Stamford Bridge due to the pressure his family faced on Merseyside.
This included receiving threatening phone calls and letters, as well as abuse in local newspapers and websites.
The abuse had raised concerns his close relatives living in the city could have faced further abuse had he completed a move away from Anfield.
Gerrard led Liverpool to a famous Champions League triumph against AC Milan the following season.
The Liverpool captain was key to their stirring fightback from 3-0 down in Istanbul.
He again flirted with a move away from the club by submitting a transfer request in the summer of 2005, weeks after lifting the Champions League.
Gerrard would later sign a four-year contract extension and remain at Anfield for a further decade, cementing his legendary status at the club.