STEVEN GERRARD: Decided to stay with Liverpool in 2005 - less than 24 hours after revealing he wanted to leave.

FABIO AURELIO: Re-signed for Liverpool on a two-year deal in August 2010 - less than three months after leaving Anfield under previous manager Rafael Benitez.

DAVID UNSWORTH: Agreed to join Aston Villa from West Ham when his family failed to settle in London. But, within a week of moving to Villa for £3million, John Gregory was forced to let the player go to Everton for the same fee when Unsworth revealed Villa - which he had thought was somewhere near Bolton - was too far away from his native Lancashire.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON: After guiding Manchester United to a sixth Premier League title in 2000 he announced he would step down as manager after his contract ended in 2002 but wanted to stay in an 'upstairs role'. A year later - and with a seventh title in nine seasons in the bag - United revealed Ferguson would be retained as a consultant on a five-year deal when his current deal as manager runs out in May 2002. However, three months before the expiry of his contract Ferguson agreed a new three-year deal.

JOEY BEAUCHAMP: Joined West Ham from Oxford United for a fee approaching £1million in 1994, but failed to settle because he missed his home city and took a cut-price move to their local rivals Swindon. Within 15 months of leaving he was back at Oxford for a cut-price £75,000.

RON ATKINSON: Two days after saying he had the best job in the world managing Sheffield Wednesday, and had no intentions of leaving, he took over as boss of Aston Villa.

STEVE McMAHON: Blackpool announced manager McMahon had quit the club in January last year only for the former Liverpool midfielder to turn up just as the press conference was ending and request a meeting with the chairman Carl Oyston. After a brief discussion McMahon revealed he had decided not to resign after all.