By Mark Heys
January 12 2006

Sheffield United new boy Garry Flitcroft has today admitted that he turned down the chance to sign for his hometown club and boyhood idols Bolton Wanderers. The 33-year old midfielder moves to Bramall Lane after spending ten years with Blackburn Rovers but he revealed that there was also interest from the Wanderers and Leeds United.

Flitcroft says that the man management skills of Blades boss Neil Warnock persuaded him to opt for a move to South Yorkshire in preference to the other two options open to him.

"I had ten great years at Blackburn but I didn't want to sit around, I wanted a fresh challenge,"

"Leeds and Bolton were interested but I fancied this more. This is a great opportunity to get back into the Premiership. I've been speaking to Neil for a while and he wanted me more - he kept phoning me up and that matters to me - man management is everything these days and he is desperate to get this club up.

"I'm still hungry to play football and I hope I can help get this club up - I don't want to play in the Championship next season, like the rest of the lads here."