Nottingham Forest manager Stuart Pearce has claimed that Manchester City's sale of Shaun Wright-Phillips to Chelsea in 2005 saved the club from financial ruin.
Pearce was in charge of City when the board decided to accept the Blues' offer for the winger, and the Forest boss said that the transfer gave the club the necessary funds to continue operating.
He told The Mirror: "The club had sold the club shop, sold the ground to council, we were paying on the 'never and never' for the [Nicolas] Anelkas of this world.
"It really was a case that the owners said, 'Unless Wright-Phillips goes, we go.'
"On the Monday morning they pressed the button and Chelsea put £21m in the bank which bails the club out [but] puts pressure on me because you are selling your goal-scorer."
Pearce left City in 2007.
