Gareth Barry admits he considered MLS before signing permanently for Everton.
Barry spent last season at Everton on-loan from Manchester City.
"America was an option and there was a conversation about it but when I spoke to the coaches here they said, 'If you are going there, you are retiring'," Barry told the Telegraph.
"That was in my head. Obviously I did not agree it was retiring but I sort of agreed it would have been going to a league that is up and coming and not as big as the Premier League, so I could see their point. There was a massive case for going there and experiencing it, and I spoke about it with my family - the idea of adapting to a different culture and going through another learning curve was appealing.
"I am sure I would have enjoyed it and there was a strong argument to go, but with the season we had at Everton last year I decided I was not ready to move and the club offered me a three-year contract which showed the faith they had in me.
"There was interest from three or four Premier League teams and a couple from abroad but I was happy here. While I could still play in the Premier League I really did not want to go abroad. I was not thinking about winding down my career."
