Tottenham winger Nacer Chadli has revealed he turned down the chance to join Swansea on loan in the January transfer window.
The Belgian ace has struggled to make an impact since joining the north London club from Twente last summer - although he did score his first Premier League goal against Newcastle on Wednesday, finding he back of the net with a superb swerving shot from 25 yards to make it 4-0.
Rumours were rife in the winter window that he could be seeking a loan exit from Spurs in an attempt to bolster his chances of making it to the World Cup in Brazil next summer.
The 24-year-old admits he considered leaving Tottenham temporarily to join Swansea last month - but that he eventually opted to stay and fight for his place under new boss Tim Sherwood.
"It [a move to Swansea] was a possibility, but it is in the past," he told the Daily Mirror.
"I had to make a decision and my decision was to stay. Everything was not clear so I wanted to stay at Tottenham and play for my club. I have signed for five years and I'm happy.
"When I came to Spurs, I knew I wasn't going to play in every game as we have 60 matches in a season.
"I came and got injured, played, got injured again and so I haven't played as much as I have wanted, but we have a big squad with a lot of good players and we have to compete with each other. I have to work hard in training and show it when I play."
The 4-0 win over Newcastle at St. James' Park kept Tottenham in the hunt for a top four finish this season.
They now sit three points off Liverpool who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot, and are a further four points off league leaders Chelsea.
Chadli believes that while a push for the Premier League title may be a stretch too far, a top four finish is well within their grasp.
"We have to keep playing like we did at Newcastle and keep going in every game for 100 per cent to get the three points. With five games to go, we will see where we are.
"We are not looking to go above Chelsea. We are looking at Liverpool, who are directly above us and we have to go there in a few weeks, so that will be a big examination," he continued.
"We are within touching distance of the top. We have had a good week, but in one week everything can happen, everything can change.
"We can be up or we can be down, so we have to stay alert and play our game like we did at Newcastle, although I would say everything is possible this season.
"It is a very different league this season, because a lot of teams are taking points off each other and are playing at around the same level."
