Blues keeper Bartosz Bialkowski has revealed he was "angry and disappointed" that a move to tonight’s opponents Wigan Athletic broke down early in his career.
Bialkowski, who was 18 at the time, had left Górnik Zabrze in his home country and was looking to move into English football when he spent time with the Latics, then a Premier League club managed by Paul Jewell, and impressed.
"It was 2005 and I had just left my Polish team — my contract had finished in June — and I went to Wigan on a seven-day trial in July,” Bialkowski, now 29, recalled.
"After the trial I went back home. I think they wanted me but there were agents’ fees involved and they weren’t prepared to pay for that.
"I was very disappointed and really angry at the time. At the time I was considered one of the biggest talents in Poland and everyone was talking about me.
"I ended up sitting at home for four or five months doing nothing. But fortunately I managed to cancel my contract with my agents. I went back to my old agent and we moved on.”
Bialkowski subsequently joined SPL side Hearts on trial in the October where former Blues boss George Burley was manager and where the Pole first linked up with current Town keeper-coach Malcolm Webster.
A move to the Edinburgh club never materialised with Burley and Webster departing Tynecastle within days of Bialkowski’s arrival.
But two months after leaving Hearts Burley was appointed Southampton manager with Webster again on his staff and in January 2006 Bialkowski became one of their first signings.
"After five and a half years with the Saints the former Polish U21 international moved on to Notts County in 2012 and then the Blues two years later.