MATTHEW LE TISSIER has admitted for the first time that he came within a whisker of leaving Saints to fulfil his boyhood dream of playing for Tottenham.

The Saints legend, who is celebrating his testimonial on May 14 after 17 years of service at Southampton, had even agreed personal terms with the North London club in 1990 when Terry Venables was in charge.

But an 11th hour change of heart kept Le Tissier (pictured) at Saints, where he has remained ever since.

He said: "I nearly signed for Spurs in 1990 but changed my mind at the last minute when Terry Venables was manager. That was the closest I ever came to leaving.

"It got close - very, very close - to the point where we had agreed on wages.

"But, in the end, Southampton gave me a new contract and offered me just as much as Tottenham had.

"It probably was the hardest decision I had to make, because of my loyalty as a Spurs fan, but by this time I had settled in this area and loved the club and the people down here. That was enough to keep me here.

"I don't regret a thing - I've made all the decisions and I've stuck by them."

Le Tissier was also courted by Chelsea when Glenn Hoddle, his White Hart Lane boyhood hero, was boss, but admitted that a move to the capital never appealed to him: "My agent rang me up and said 'Glenn wants to buy you. Will you speak to him?' I said 'no'.

"I didn't wan't to because I liked it here and the way I lived my life didn't really suit the bright lights of London.

"My life is very laid back and I like it that way - when I visit London now, I realise exactly the reasons why I never moved and played up there, because life is just so hectic up there and I don't enjoy it all. Any more than a day in London and I'm absolutely shot."

Le Tissier's testimonial season is gathering pace, culminating in the prestigious May 14 testimonial game at St Mary's, featuring Saints stars past and present against an England XI. It's likely to herald a 30,000-plus gate.

Le Tissier defended his decision to stage a testimonial in an era when Premiership stars are earning thousands of pounds a week, saying: "In my career, I have turned down a whole heap more money than I could have earned and, at the end of the day, people don't have to buy a ticket.

"If they don't want to support me, I haven't got a problem - and I won't hold it against anybody who doesn't buy a ticket because they think we earn too much money as it is.

"Nobody is twisting their arms."

The evening is sure to be a star-studded affair with only Tony Adams and Lee Dixon left to confirm.

Definitely making the trip to St Mary's are: Tim Flowers, Dave Beasant, John Beresford, Stuart Pearce, Neil Ruddock, Russell Osman, Mark Wright, Rob Lee, Barry Venison, David Batty, Chris Waddle, John Barnes, Peter Beardsley, Jamie Redknapp, Alan Shearer, Ian Wright, Dion Dublin, Dennis Wise and Rob Jones.

To celebrate Matthew Le Tissier's glittering career, The Daily Echo are today launching a year-by-year guide to his time at Southampton and his life in general. Running daily in The Echo and The Pink for the next three weeks, this is the most definitive and comprehensive account of every goal he scored, every career-changing decision he made and how he helped keep Saints on the footballing map - complete with a full statistical breakdown for each season and pictures from our extensive archives.

Today: The Guernsey & Saints Youth years - see page 48 of Wednesday's Daily Echo.