Lee Bowyer recalls the time he almost left Leeds United for Liverpool calling it his 'biggest regret'

Lee Bowyer has revealed that he almost left Leeds United for Liverpool before changing his mind halfway through a medical calling it his "biggest regret in football".

Bowyer - who is currently in charge of Championship outfit Charlton Athletic - spent seven years at Elland Road with the Whites.

The midfielder made 265 appearances for Leeds during his stay in West Yorkshire, scoring 55 goals in the process across all competitions.

Bowyer was a key figure in United's Premier League and Champions League exploits around the turn of the century, but has now revealed he almost left the club in 2002 for Merseyside.

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier was pushing for his signature before Bowyer himself pulled the plug on a proposed move to Anfield.

He has now called it his "biggest regret" in football after he went on to join West Ham before moving north to Newcastle a little over a year later amid the Whites financial struggles.

"I was very close [to joining Liverpool] - I was halfway through a medical but it just didn't feel right for me at the time," Bowyer told Sky Sports.

"That is my biggest regret in football not going to Liverpool at that time.

"If I could've turned the clock back I would've gone. Looking back, I made the wrong decision.

"I knew my time was coming to an end at Leeds due to a few things behind the scenes that didn't sit well with me, so I knew it was my time to go.

"I thought doing another five years up north, being a long way away from my family after doing six years at Leeds didn't sit right but after all that I ended up going to Newcastle which is even further away, so it makes no sense!

"But at the time it just didn't feel right, and that was the mistake I made."

Asked whether he believes Leeds underachieved by not winning a trophy during his time in LS11, he said: "I would agree.

"We were a good side that a lot of teams underestimated. We didn't have as much technical ability as some other teams but there wasn't much in it when we played the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United."