Aberdeen boss Craig Brown has revealed he was offered prospective Manchester United signing Phil Jones while in charge of Motherwell.
The 19-year-old Englishman, who had not played a first-team game at Blackburn Rovers at that point, was offered on loan by former boss Sam Allardyce. He also recommended Grant Hanley - now a Scotland cap - and striker Nick Blackman.
Brown decided to take Blackman but felt well enough covered to leave Jones and Hanley at Blackburn.
The Dons boss told the Daily Record: "I was in Qatar with big Sam working on the World Cup for Al Jazeera and he told me all about the three of them.
"A year ago they were on the fringe of the first team but we could have had them.
"But I decided to go for Blackman because I felt we were okay at centre half with (Stephen) Craigan and (Mark) Reynolds. We needed a striker, so we went for Nick.
"It shows how things can change quickly but at the time it was right for Motherwell."
