Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham admits he almost joined Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce at West Ham.
Palace meet Sunderland tomorrow night.
Wickham told the Daily Star Sunday: "I got close to joining Sam at West Ham but it fell apart at the last minute.
"It didn't go to plan at Sunderland. The idea was that I would be the focal point of the team and it didn't work out that way.
"But I won't use those times to bring me down. I see it as a stepping stone. I've developed my game massively since I've come here. There are no egos here.
"The coaches are great. We're getting new Âfacilities, new equipment and it's going to help make me a better player. I can develop massively with the squad we've got."
Source: tribalfootball.com