Palermo striker Fabrizio Miccoli admits rejecting Birmingham City's lucrative offer was one of the "most important decisions" he has ever made.
Having consulted both his club and family over moving to England, the hitman decided it was best for him to remain, despite missing out on rich offerings.
"I wanted to thank Birmingham for the offer. I evaluated the offer and decided to remain at Palermo, a decision I took with my family," he told a press conference in Palermo.
"It was the most important decision of my career. I spoke about it with my wife and then the president. I knew I could have earned ?10 million over four years, so it was a hard decision.
"Speaking with Maurizio Zamparini was all I needed to stay."
On Wednesday Zamparini confirmed the player would remain despite a reported £4.5 million offer from the English club. The aim now is to recover Miccoli following a right knee ligament injury.
"My recovery is going really well. I get in the swimming pool in the morning and then gym in the afternoon. After a month following the operation, everything is going well," he concluded.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2010/06/17/1981011/palermos-fabrizio-miccoli-thanks-birmingham-city-for-offer