Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has spoken of his decision to leave France.
Schneiderlin made his first-team debut for Strasbourg at just 16 in their centenary game. He wore the number '100' on his back but managed just four more league outings before a tough decision came his way.
He told Everton magazine: “When I was 17, 18 I became a little bit impatient because I knew I had the quality to play and everyone was telling me so but, because the results were not so good, Strasbourg tried to protect me a little bit. I didn't understand that at the time and I had a lot of clubs coming in for me and I wanted to find something else. I was contacted by the best clubs in the world. I had a lot of clubs who wanted me, who contacted my agent, who offered things to my parents and things like that. It could turn your head but I was lucky to have parents and friends and a sister who always kept my feet on the ground.
“I made the choice to go to Southampton in the English second tier because I thought that I could go up to the Premier League and that I could really put myself in the spotlight with them."