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Chelsea signing who spoke zero English was promised free transfer if wife wasn't happy

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When Gus Poyet signed for Chelsea in 1997 he was offered a deal that sounded too good to be true.Uruguay star Poyet, then with Real Zaragoza, had reservations about moving to London because he didn't speak a word of English and feared his wife wouldn't settle.So ingenious Chelsea chief executive of the time Colin Hutchinson devised a cunning plan to solve the problem.He offered Poyet a contract with a clause saying he would be entitled to a free transfer if he and his family didn't like what they found!Poyet, who went on to win four trophies with the club before leaving for Tottenham in 2001, said: "It was a life changing decision for me that I found a challenge."I spoke zero English and my wife just a little.

It was a pivotal moment in my life and I needed to get it right."I had a family - two young boys who were just four and two years old - and I needed to make sure we would be happy in London."That's when Colin put the clause in my contract.

He said I could have a free transfer after a few months if my wife didn't like London and we couldn't settle."It was an unprecedented thing to do and showed the club's confidence that it would work out."Joining Chelsea changed my life.

So much so, English is still my home today."Poyet scored 49 times in 145 games for Chelsea and is still fondly remembered by many at the club despite going on to join Spurs.But he admits his first season was a struggle - and that he didn't start to settle and actually learn the language properly and he suffered a knee injury.Poyet said: "Making this country my home wasn't easy.

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