Nigeria international Oghenekaro Peter Etebo left the Potters without regrets, but revealed it could all have been different had he joined Watford instead.
The new Getafe man shed more light on the deal that took him to the bet365 Stadium just before the 2018 World Cup when Watford were the leading candidates to secure his signature.
Back in the La Liga having failed to fulfil a personal dream of featuring in the English Premier League, Etebo takes consolation from the joy that the Spanish top flight is just as renowned and respected as its English version.
“To be fair, after the World Cup I was supposed to go to Watford but when we were preparing for the World Cup, the officials of Stoke City flew down from London to Austria and approached me,” he said in a press conference according to quotes carried by the Stoke Sentinel.
“The target of the team was just to go back to the Premier League. They had spent a lot of money and it was a good team, a big team, a Premier League team.
“All the same, it didn’t work out. As we all know, to play in the Premier League is a big thing like to play in the Spanish league.”
“I had to say to them that since Getafe was looking for me, I need to come and showcase myself here.
“It was not to do with money that I went to Stoke City. It wasn’t because of money or the contract was big, I felt there was an opportunity to go back to the Premier League.”
The 24-year-old played 45 league games for the Potters scoring twice and winning the West Stokies Stoke City Player of the Year award in his debut season.