Lazio striker Mauro Zarate has revealed he almost joined Portsmouth in the summer.

Zarate told So Foot: "I was due to return to Qatar after my spell in England, and then, after Birmingham were relegated, a deal was almost done with Portsmouth, but Lazio arrived... and you know what happened."

The promising Argentinain feared a broken leg in England and has confessed to having been 'scared' by Premier League defenders.

He added: "I'm not going to lie to you: honestly, sometimes I was scared. You never know what's going to happen to you when a defender bumps into you.

"I am going to tell you something very trivial, but referees don't blow their whistle a lot in England, which explains why there are so many serious injuries.

"What happened to Eduardo almost happened to me!

"But the atmosphere is amazing, the stadiums are gorgeous. But there's nothing you can do against cold and rain."