Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen has said he opted against a move to Chelsea as a youngster because he felt there was “more chance to fail than succeed” at Stamford Bridge.
Eriksen told Danish newspaper Fyens he had instead opted to join Dutch side Ajax at the age of 16 in 2008 after reportedly having trials with clubs including Chelsea and Barcelona.
After five years in the Dutch top flight, he moved to Spurs in an £11 million deal and has since made almost 150 appearances for the White Hart Lane club.
“In Denmark, you are sure to play if you were good, but Ajax played you if you had the mentality and went 100 percent to it,” he said.
“It did not matter who you were. It was about getting better every day.
“If I had chosen Chelsea, then my situation today would be completely different, I’m sure.
“Of course you never say never, but I just felt that there was more chance to fail than succeed.”
Eriksen, whose performances helped Spurs mount a title challenge last season before they finally finished third in the Premier League, signed a new contract earlier this season.
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