Victor Anichebe has revealed that he turned down "crazy offers" to join Sunderland on a free transfer.
The 28-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Black Cats last month after being released by West Bromwich Albion in the summer.
The striker has revealed that he was close to moving abroad, but the lure of remaining in the Premier League and playing under David Moyes was too much to turn down.
"There were a lot of offers to go all these kinds of places, crazy offers in different countries but sometimes money is not always everything," The Shields Gazette quotes Anichebe as saying.
"I knew about Sunderland and the manager and a couple of other English teams, there was a lot of interest in the Championship too, lower teams in the Premier League too and offers from abroad.
"Some of them were very attractive. I like travelling and experiencing new things so maybe that is something I will look forward to in future, but at this present moment in time I just thought Sunderland is a really good club."
During a three-year spell with the Baggies, Anichebe scored nine goals in 64 appearances.