Lee Tomlin has admitted that he did not expect to leave Peterborough United for Middlesbrough during the January transfer window.
Boro signed the 25-year-old forward on deadline day, on a loan deal that is expected to be made permanent during the summer.
Posh manager Darren Ferguson had previously warned Tomlin that he should not try to engineer a move away from London Road.
"I wasn't expecting to move on deadline day. I spoke to Darren Ferguson the week before and he expected nothing to happen," Tomlin told BBC Tees.
"Whether that was because the club's valuation of me was too high or not, I don't know."
Tomlin scored 43 goals in 156 appearances for Peterborough.
