Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin has spoken of how he turned down the offer of more money in Greece to play for Pompey.The French defender was a free agent when he left Manchester City in 2007 and a number of clubs came in for him.

He could have received more money by moving to Olympiakos, but chose Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth.

He told L'Equipe magazine: "I was a free agent after Manchester City so I could negotiate very good wages with the club which wanted me.

"There were four clubs following me. City wanted to keep me, and there were Newcastle, Portsmouth and Olympiakos.

"If I had chosen money, I would be in Greece!"

Distin spent a season on loan at Newcastle in 2001/2 from Paris Saint-Germain before joining Man City.

Speaking of that time, he added: "The only regret I have in my career is to have left France too early.

"However, when you play at Newcastle with its potential, its fans and its stadium, or at City which is a sleeping giant, you can't understand it with a French point of view."

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